Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Serious Games
Date Submitted: May 13, 2025
Date Accepted: Nov 11, 2025
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Enhancing Amblyopia Treatment Through Serious Games: A Novel Intervention Combining Perceptual Learning and Stereopsis Training
ABSTRACT
Background:
Amblyopia, a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, often remains inadequately addressed by traditional treatment methods such as refractive correction and occlusion therapy, which can be non-interactive and lead to poor adherence.
Objective:
This study aimed to design and assess the efficacy of a serious game intervention that merges perceptual learning (PL) with stereopsis training in children diagnosed with amblyopia.
Methods:
We evaluated visual acuity, accommodative sensitivity, binocular accommodation, and stereopsis in a cohort of amblyopic children aged 7 to 12 years before and after a 3-month intervention. Participants engaged in visual training via a serious game, attending sessions four times weekly for 30 minutes each.
Results:
The intervention resulted in statistically significant improvements in visual acuity, accommodative sensitivity, binocular accommodation, and stereoscopic function (p < 0.01). Notably, adjustment sensitivity (Cohen's d = 1.216) and binocular accommodation (Cohen's d = 1.112) exhibited large effect sizes.
Conclusions:
The integration of gamified elements into amblyopia treatment not only improved treatment adherence but also significantly enhanced visual function in children. This interactive approach effectively combines perceptual learning with stereopsis training, presenting a promising alternative to conventional therapies. Clinical Trial: The research protocol adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology, Shenzhen University（SZU_PSY_2024_100）
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