Augmented Reality Technology Enhances Vision in Adults with Amblyopia

Recent advancements in augmented reality (AR) have demonstrated promising results in improving visual function among adults diagnosed with amblyopia, a condition traditionally considered resistant to treatment beyond childhood. A study published in Advanced Science highlights the development of an innovative AR-based training system designed to target specific neural pathways involved in vision.

Amblyopia, often called 'lazy eye,' arises from abnormal visual development, making effective treatment in adults particularly challenging. Visual processing relies on two primary pathways: the magnocellular (M) pathway, responsible for motion and broad visual patterns, and the parvocellular (P) pathway, which handles fine detail and color perception. Disruption in these pathways can be linked to various neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Traditional visual training approaches frequently lack generalization and suffer from low compliance, limiting their clinical effectiveness. To overcome these hurdles, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fudan University, and other institutes designed a real-time AR system that captures natural scenes via high-definition cameras, processes the images using GPU technology, and delivers modified visual stimuli through OLED head-mounted displays.

The system specifically aims to enhance the P pathway. It does so by converting low spatial frequency information into flickering noise while preserving high-frequency visual details. Additionally, it diminishes the dominance of the stronger eye by reducing the signal-to-noise ratio of high-frequency information in the dominant eye, encouraging the non-dominant eye to contribute more effectively.

In experiments involving healthy individuals, short-term AR training led to significant improvements in visual acuity and high spatial frequency sensitivity, restoring binocular balance with lasting effects. Patients with amblyopia who used lightweight AR glasses at home for one week showed marked enhancements in visual acuity, eye dominance, and stereoscopic vision, with high adherence and engagement.

This technology's precision allows for targeted intervention of specific visual pathways in everyday environments, representing a promising breakthrough in visual rehabilitation. Not only does it hold potential for treating amblyopia, but it also offers new avenues for managing glaucoma and developmental dyslexia. Moreover, the approach could be adapted to boost visual performance in the general population.

Overall, augmented reality-based visual training offers a safe, engaging, and effective method to improve visual function in adults, challenging previous notions that such conditions are intractable beyond childhood.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-augmented-reality-technology-boosts-vision.html