Training the brain to overcome the effect of aging on the human eye

Polat, Uri; Schor, Clifton M.; Tong, Jianliang; Zomet, Ativ; Lev, Maria; Yehezkel, Oren; Sterkin, Anna; Levi, Dennis M.

doi:10.1038/srep00278

Cited by 100 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…33 Previously, a combined training approach proved to be successful at improving reading speed and reading acuity of adults with presbyopia, who show poorer baseline reading acuity at near and slower reading speed than healthy agematched controls. 34 Enhanced oculomotor control is probably not responsible for the reading acuity and critical print size improvements, because nystagmus parameters are poor predictors of reading performance 5 and dampening the nystagmus does not facilitate better performance. 28 In another article, we evaluated the oculomotor changes of our subjects after our training and did not find changes in their fixational eye movements and nystagmus characteristics, but did find faster saccade initiations.…”

Section: Training-induced Improvements In Reading Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus: Effects on Reading Performance

Huurneman

Boonstra

Goossens

2016

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

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PURPOSE. Perceptual learning improves visual acuity and reduces crowding in children with infantile nystagmus (IN). Here, we compare reading performance of 6-to 11-year-old children with IN with normal controls, and evaluate whether perceptual learning improves their reading. METHODS.Children with IN were divided in two training groups: a crowded training group (n ¼ 18; albinism: n ¼ 8; idiopathic IN: n ¼ 10) and an uncrowded training group (n ¼ 17; albinism: n ¼ 9; idiopathic IN: n ¼ 8). Also 11 children with normal vision participated. Outcome measures were: reading acuity (the smallest readable font size), maximum reading speed, critical print size (font size below which reading is suboptimal), and acuity reserve (difference between reading acuity and critical print size). We used multiple regression analyses to test if these reading parameters were related to the children's uncrowded distance acuity and/or crowding scores.RESULTS. Reading acuity and critical print size were 0.65 6 0.04 and 0.69 6 0.08 log units larger for children with IN than for children with normal vision. Maximum reading speed and acuity reserve did not differ between these groups. After training, reading acuity improved by 0.12 6 0.02 logMAR and critical print size improved by 0.11 6 0.04 logMAR in both IN training groups. The changes in reading acuity, critical print size, and acuity reserve of children with IN were tightly related to changes in their uncrowded distance acuity and the changes in magnitude and extent of crowding.CONCLUSIONS. Our findings are the first to show that visual acuity is not the only factor that restricts reading in children with IN, but that crowding also limits their reading performance. By targeting both of these spatial bottlenecks in children with IN, our perceptual learning paradigms significantly improved their reading acuity and critical print size. This shows that perceptual learning can effectively transfer to reading.

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Section: Training-induced Improvements In Reading Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus: Effects on Reading Performance

Huurneman

Boonstra

Goossens

2016

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

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“…We were the first to show plasticity in adults with a visual deficit that was considered untreatable, see below. Using a similar paradigm, we also achieved a significant improvement in individuals with presbyopia, see below (Polat, 2009, Polat, Schor, Tong, Zomet, Lev, Yehezkel, Sterkin & Levi, 2012. Thus, our treatment induces visual enhancement of blurred or low-contrast images, an effect that is highly applicative for patients with visual dysfunction associated with TBI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 70%

A Behavioral Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Visual Dysfunction Based on Adult Cortical Plasticity

Polat¹,

Sterkin²

2012

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REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S) U.S. Army Medical Research and Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012 SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S) DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENTApproved for public release; distribution unlimited SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ABSTRACTDespite administrative difficulties that delayed the initiation of the protocol parts involving human subjects, we have completed testing and training of 20 control subjects. There was a remarkable improvement in the objective measurements of the visual functions, including subjective improvement reported by the subjects. Based on the accumulate data, we prepared an updated set of pretest/posttest and training protocol in order to improve the training results, especially in the periphery. The results of the training suggest that we will be able to apply a modified protocol to TBI patients. Though it was not planned in the original proposal, we will run another subset of controls to validate the improved protocol in order to increase the efficacy of the training protocol. We will present the data in the 3rd International Workshop on Perceptual Learning in December 2012 and will prepare a manuscript for publication based on the data of all controls subjects. We have recruited 6 TBI patients so far and present the results of a representative TBI patient. There is already a pronounced improvement in his visual acuity, of more than 1 ETDRS line, towards the levels of the normal control group, in static contrast sensitivity and in lateral interactions, with the negative effect of lateral masking replaced by a slight positive effect of facilitation (i.e., detection threshold reduction). He also reports subjective improvement. We proceed with training of patients and intensive screening the medical files to identify more potential TBI patients.

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“…5,6 The present case report illustrates the efficacy of perceptual learning in traumatic optic neuropathy; the first reported description of the effect of perceptual learning in an optic neuropathy where conventional management is primarily directed to limiting the extent of damage and preventing progression. 7 The mechanism of the action of perceptual learning has been proposed to be due to blur adaptation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Perceptual Learning for Rehabilitation in Traumatic Optic Neuropathy

Vaitheeswaran

Kaur

Garg

2014

Neuro-Ophthalmology

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Traumatic optic neuropathy is a cause of sudden irreversible visual loss due to optic nerve damage following trauma. Reports of improvement have been noted after observation alone, treatment with corticosteroids, and surgical decompression. However, final visual acuity may not be predictable, with individual patients having little improvement in visual function despite therapy. Perceptual learning improves visual functions by improving the neural processing so as to allow image perception at low signal-to-noise ratios. The case report describes the beneficial effect of perceptual learning in traumatic optic neuropathy, the first to describe the use of perceptual learning in an optic neuropathy. A larger case-controlled study of the effect of perceptual learning in optic neuropathies is required to substantiate the beneficial effect and elaborate the scale of improvement that may be possible with this form of therapy.

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Training the brain to overcome the effect of aging on the human eye

Cited by 100 publications

References 25 publications

Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus: Effects on Reading Performance

Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus: Effects on Reading Performance

A Behavioral Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Visual Dysfunction Based on Adult Cortical Plasticity

Perceptual Learning for Rehabilitation in Traumatic Optic Neuropathy

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