The new tablet game may help children with amblyopia (lazy eye syndrome), informs BBC News / Health.
Lazy eye syndrome is a visual disturbance that occurs most often in childhood. Due to the influence of various harmful factors, children can see properly with one eye and much less sharply with the other. The vision of the affected eye may permanently deteriorate.
Characteristically, no organic changes are found in the lazy eye. Amblyopia occurs on average in one in 50 children and can be a complication of strabismus, astigmatism, abnormal eye structure, cataracts or anisometropy (a condition in which one eye has a different visual impairment than the other). The current method of treatment – covering the better sighted eye – is ineffective and troublesome for a child who is stigmatized because of the blindfold.
Since the normal eye can see properly, many people who are sick are unaware of their disease. With advanced amblyopia, however, visual disturbances may appear, especially regarding depth perception. There are also problems with sharpness, contrast perception and sensitivity to movement. Some people with amblyopia may find it difficult to perceive three-dimensional images.
The French company Ubisoft (the creator of Assasin’s Creed and Far Cry, among others) has announced that it is working on the game Dig Rush, which is to train the lazy eye. The game is intended for tablet users, and its developers hope that it will prove to be both effective and attractive to gamers.
The very concept of the game to improve eyesight was developed by scientists at McGill University in Montreal – who conducted tests with a suitably reworked version of the classic Tetris. The results of their research were published in 2013 – the eyesight of 2/3 of the playing patients improved.
To benefit from the new Ubisoft production, the player – the patient must wear stereoscopic glasses with a red and a blue filter. Some images are displayed in blue, others in red, with gradually changing levels of contrast. Objects viewed with only one eye become less visible over time. In order to play efficiently, you need to use both eyes – in this way the lazy eye is forced to exercise, which allows you to overcome the disease with systematic play.
According to Ubisoft representatives, doctors will be able to adjust the game parameters to a specific patient. Efforts are currently underway to admit this type of therapy to the US market (PAP).