Video games may improve weak vision!

A recent study revealed that playing video games can help improve the vision of adults with lazy eye. Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is the most common cause of permanent visual impairment in childhood. It is a brain disorder in which the vision in one eye does not develop appropriately. The condition is successfully treated in children by using a patch over the "good eye" to force the brain to use the "lazy eye" but for adults with the condition, there are very limited options available. Researchers noted a marked improvement in 3-D depth perception and the sharpness of vision in study participants who spent just 40 hours playing video games. The 20 participants ranged in age from 16 to 60. Participants wore a patch over their good eye while playing either action or n0n-action games. The "gamers" saw a 30 percent increase in visual acuity which translates to an improvement of 1.5 lines on the standard letter chart used by optometrists. Over 120 hours of basic eye-patch therapy is needed to see the same results. Additional research is needed as it is uncertain when vision improvement might plateau. In addition, researchers caution that people should not attempt to treat their amblyopia themselves and should consult their eye doctors.* Elise Ervin Staff Writer