Vinod Kumar Singh1 , Vinod Kumar Baranwal2 , Gaurav Kapoor3
BACKGROUND Treatment of amblyopia by patching is the gold standard. However, it is associated with poor compliance, difficult to use, has risk of allergy, has social stigma and may cause cosmetic problems. We wanted to compare the efficacy of standard patching therapy and Digital Smart Glasses (Liquid Crystal Glasses) in the treatment of Amblyopia. METHODS In this comparative, prospective, interventional, safety/efficacy study with the primary purpose of treatment, 60 eyes of the children 3 - 8 years of age with previously untreated, moderate (visual acuity of 20/40 to 20/100 in the amblyopic eye), unilateral, anisometropic amblyopia were included. All subjects were using optimal refractive correction before start of occlusion therapy. Digital smart glasses group used a 6-hour intermittent occlusion therapy with liquid crystal glasses, set at 40-second opaque / 20 second transparent intervals (occluded 66% of wear time) which gives an effective 4 hours of occlusion and it is compared with 4 hours of continuous patching therapy. Occlusion was applied only to the good eye. All 60 children were followed up regularly for 36 weeks. Best corrected visual acuity for distance was measured. Visual acuity for distance was measured with the help of Snellen’s chart. RESULTS There is a statically significant gain in visual acuity in both groups from baseline in each visit. Difference in mean gain in visual acuity was statically significant between both groups at 4 weeks , 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks of therapy (p<0.05) with lower LogMAR value in Digital Smart Glasses group on each visit. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study suggests that intermittent occlusion therapy (IO-Therapy), with Digital Smart Glasses with 6 hours daily wear time (set at 40 sec occlusion and 20 sec transparent time, 66% occlusion time) is not inferior to 4-hours of daily continuous patching when treating children in the 3 - 8 years age group with moderate, unilateral amblyopia. This promising device provides an alternative form of amblyopia treatment for children and their frequently frustrated families.
