Justin Cooper , 2025-04-29 20:39:00
April 29, 2025
2 min read
Key takeaways:
- A study of 89 patients with amblyopia found gradual improvement in visual acuity for up to 5 years.
- Out of 89 participants, 17 had a three-line logMAR improvement.
Visual acuity gradually improved for up to 5 years in patients with amblyopia, including adults, who were treated with RevitalVision, a home-based perceptual learning therapy, according to a study.
“This is the first study of its kind, answering the big question: Is there any long-term efficacy evidence for adult amblyopia treatment, which until now has been deemed untreatable?” RevitalVision CEO Yair Yahav told Healio. “Changing the mindset of eye care professionals that amblyopia can be improved beyond childhood is challenging. This study provides more strong evidence that not only can amblyopia be treated and improved in adults, but the results are long lasting.”
In a prospective observational study of 89 patients with amblyopia (mean age, 15.8 years; 53.9% male) treated with RevitalVision, the average logMAR visual acuity score improved from 0.56 ± 0.27 at baseline to 0.30 ± 0.24 beyond 3 years. The data were published by Damaris Magdalene, MBBS, DO, FIACLE, and colleagues in the Latin American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Twenty-five study participants were younger than 10 years, 44 between 11 and 20 years, 15 between 21 and 30 years, and five between 31 and 40 years. Overall, 25 participants had a one-line improvement in visual acuity, 21 had a two-line improvement, 17 had a three-line improvement, and one had a greater than three-line improvement; 25 did not show improvement. Fifteen adults in the 21 to 30 and 31 to 40 age groups showed improvement, while five adults in the 21 to 30 age group did not show improvement.
“The efficacy of occlusion, the primary treatment for amblyopia, is considered ineffective beyond childhood, and the new dichoptic treatments have not been able to demonstrate efficacy beyond childhood in randomized trials,” Yahav said.
Participants in the study underwent 30 to 40 sessions of perceptual learning therapy with RevitalVision three times a week, first in a clinic and then at home. The therapy consisted of visual perception tasks conducted on a personal computer.
“This therapy enhances neural connections through computer-based visual training, thereby improving visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in children with amblyopia,” Magdalene and colleagues wrote. “The software customizes treatment based on an individual’s performance during two calibration sessions, adapting to their responses and creating tailored treatment algorithms.”
Overall, 72% of participants saw some improvement, according to the study, with both bilateral and unilateral amblyopia showing statistically significant results (P < .001).
RevitalVision is the only product cleared by the FDA for the treatment of amblyopia in participants 9 years of age and older, according to a company press release. It can also be prescribed for the improvement of keratoconus, nystagmus and early presbyopia.
“Traditional treatment methods for amblyopia, like patching or atropine penalization, are considered ineffective beyond childhood, underscoring the need for alternative therapeutic strategies,” Charles Morris, general manager, North America, RevitalVision, said in the release. “RevitalVision offers a clinically proven therapy to produce long-term visual improvements, which could ultimately reshape how amblyopia is treated beyond the critical age moving forward.”
Reference:
- New research highlights the long-term effectiveness of perceptual learning therapy for adults with amblyopia. Published April 28, 2025. Accessed April 29, 2025.
For more information:
Yair Yahav can be reached at yair@revitalvision.com.
