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StudyJournal of optometry · 2026

Effect of active vision therapy on task-based saccadic and smooth pursuit performance in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

Manisha Koirala, Sanjeev Bhattarai, Jyoti Baba Shrestha … Gauri Shankar Shrestha

OphthalmologyStudy

Adding vision therapy to patching was linked to faster eye-movement response than patching alone

Effect of active vision therapy on task-based saccadic and smooth pursuit performance in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

Manisha Koirala … Gauri Shankar Shrestha

Journal of optometry · 2026

Purpose

To evaluate the association between Active Vision Therapy (Active Vision Therapy) combined with occlusion and occlusion-only therapy in task-based saccadic and pursuit visuomotor performance and visual outcomes in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

Methods

Forty children (median age=9years, IQR=7-11) with persistent anisometropic amblyopia after six weeks of spectacle adaptation were alternately assigned to Active Vision Therapy-occlusion (n = 23) or occlusion-only (n = 17).

n = 23

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Results

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ms equivalent

Children got vision therapy plus patching had quicker saccadic response times than patching alone

n = 23

More results

Both groups improved in BCVA, and task-based saccadic and smooth pursuit performance (p < 0.05) in the Active Vision Therapy-occlusion group.

Significant time × therapy interactions were found for BCVA, task-based saccadic and smooth pursuit performance, and contrast sensitivity (p ≤ 0.03).

More results

Greater gain in task-based saccadic (ρ=-0.43, p = 0.006) and smooth pursuit (ρ=-0.53, p = 0.001) performance correlated with BCVA improvement; faster saccadic response performance (ρ=0.35, p = 0.026) correlated with better stereopsis.

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Conclusion

Active Vision Therapy with occlusion was associated with greater improvements in functional visuomotor task performance and visual outcomes in children with anisometropic amblyopia, supporting its role as a function-oriented adjunct to conventional therapy.

Post

Effect of active vision therapy on task-based saccadic and smooth pursuit performance in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

Adding vision therapy to patching was linked to faster eye-movement response than patching alone

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