Lazy Eye News and Research

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Amblyopia, otherwise known as lazy eye, is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by poor or indistinct vision in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities. It has been estimated to affect 1–5% of the population.

Researchers find a crucial on-off switch in visual development

A discovery by a University of Maryland-led research team offers hope for treating "lazy eye" and other serious visual problems that are usually permanent unless they are corrected in early childhood.

2 Aug 2013

Perceptual learning may hold promise for improving visual functions in people with central vision loss

Perceptual learning techniques may provide a useful new approach to rehabilitation in patients with central vision loss-taking advantage of visual plasticity that persists even in old age, according to a special article in the June issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

28 May 2013

Researchers find innovative approach to treat lazy eye disorder

A research team led by Dr. Robert Hess from McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre has used the popular puzzle video game Tetris in an innovative approach to treat adult amblyopia, commonly known as "lazy eye".

23 Apr 2013

AAPOS committee revises guidelines for automated preschool vision screening

The Vision Screening Committee of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the professional organization for pediatric eye care, has revised its guidelines for automated preschool vision screening based on new evidence. The new guidelines are published in the February issue of the Journal of AAPOS.

5 Feb 2013

Automated eye tests best for toddlers

Children under the age of 4 years benefit from instrument-based vision screening rather than visual acuity tests since the former is quick, requires minimal cooperation of the child, and is not dependent on their behavioral responses, says a policy statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

9 Nov 2012

Abnormal visual processing and circuitry in the brain impacts fixational saccades

Little is known about oculomotor function in amblyopia, or "lazy eye," despite the special role of eye movements in vision. A group of scientists has discovered that abnormal visual processing and circuitry in the brain have an impact on fixational saccades (FSs), involuntary eye movements that occur during fixation and are important for the maintenance of vision.

17 Oct 2012

Overcorrection is a risk in pediatric exotropia surgery

One-third of pediatric patients treated surgically for intermittent exotropia have excellent post-treatment alignment, and two-thirds have satisfactory control of the condition after the procedure, show UK study results.

17 Aug 2012

DOES makes children eye exams inexpensive, comprehensive and simple to administer

Eighty-five percent of children's learning is related to vision. Yet in the U.S., 80 percent of children have never had an eye exam or any vision screening before kindergarten, statistics say. When they do, the vision screenings they typically receive can detect only one or two conditions.

19 Jan 2012

Less incidence of nearsightedness in kids who spend more time outdoors: Study

A new study finds that children who play outdoors often are smarter, leaner and stronger than kids more inclined toward indoor activities. They're less likely to suffer from nearsightedness, in which objects in the distance appear blurry.

26 Oct 2011

Playing video games may treat amblyopia in children

A new study conducted in an eye clinic in India found that correction of amblyopia, also called "lazy eye," can be achieved in many older children, if they stick to a regimen that includes playing video games along with standard amblyopia treatment.

24 Oct 2011

Children under the age of 3 with NLDO more likely to develop amblyopia

Amblyopia, sometimes referred to as "lazy eye," is a cause of poor vision in children. It occurs in about 1.6% to 3.6% of the general population. Early treatment is critical, as the first few years are the most important in the development of eyesight. If amblyopia is not treated in the first 6 to 10 years, poor vision becomes permanent and cannot be corrected.

13 Oct 2011

New faceshields offer protection to football players with amblyopia

Game-worn football faceshields are more susceptible to breaking when subjected to high-velocity impact than are new faceshields, according to recent research.

24 May 2011

AOA says 3D viewing may help uncover vision disorders in children

The American Optometric Association, representing America's family eye doctors, says 3D in movies, TV and even 3D on Nintendo's 3DS isn't necessarily bad for adults or children.

6 Jan 2011

Early eye exam can save sight and prevent a life time disability

Jennifer Hartman had no idea her child had a significant vision problem. The day after her daughter's sixth birthday, after an eye exam, she was diagnosed as being legally blind in one eye with a condition called amblyopia or lazy eye.

1 Dec 2010

Neural learning appears to be independent of conscious visual processing

A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts and College of Science and Engineering have found that an early part of the brain's visual system rewires itself when people are trained to perceive patterns, and have shown for the first time that this neural learning appears to be independent of higher order conscious visual processing.

11 Nov 2010

Cost-effective ways for early detection of 'lazy eye'

Amblyopia, known as "lazy eye," is a major cause of vision problems in children and a common cause of blindness in people aged 20 to 70 in developed countries. In amblyopia the person's stronger eye is favored and his/her weaker eye gradually loses visual power as a result. When the condition is detected and treated before age 7, more than 75 percent of children achieve 20/30 vision or better, the Amblyopia Treatment Study reports.

4 Oct 2010

New neurological deficit behind amblyopia

Researchers at New York University's Center for Neural Science have identified a new neurological deficit behind amblyopia, or "lazy eye." Their findings, which appear in the most recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, shed additional light on how amblyopia results from disrupted links between the brain and normal visual processing.

10 Sep 2010

Benefits of childhood screening for vision disorders in preschool children

In his article in the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[28-29]: 495-9), Wolf A. Lagr-ze examines whether or not childhood screening for vision disorders in preschool children is worthwhile.

5 Aug 2010

Nintendo DS helps cure lazy eye

For six year old Ben Michaels nothing could be more welcome than his recent therapy regime. He was detected with a problem in his eyesight by a school nurse from the age of four. On examination he was found to have a lazy right eye or amblyopia. Left untreated it would have lost him his vision completely.

24 Jun 2010

OVD issue highlights prevalence of eye problems in general population

In the latest issue of Optometry & Vision Development (OVD), Dr. Dominick Maino, editor of OVD, notes that: "In 2010 there are 9 million people with lazy eye and 18 million individuals with eye-turns

17 Mar 2010