Study: video games improve sight in people with a "zombie eye"

Study: video games improve sight in people with a "zombie eye"

A Canadian study found that video games can help improve eyesight for adults living with what is known as the "eye of the zombie" within a few weeks. The disease affects approximately 3% of people around the world without the presence of an effective treatment for adults.

Known as "zombie eye" Amblyopia medically or ambliobia, where a person sees one eye better than other leading to ignore the brain to the eye. The injured suffered from its inability to see 3D, plus their inability to measure distances with the same efficiency of persons with normal eyesight, because these tasks require the use of both eyes at the same time. The eye may also accompany the "zombie" some "squint", does not consider the eyes in the same direction.

The treatment during the study, conducted by researchers at McGill University Canada, the Tetris game that depends on the player to rotate the pieces while falling to integrate with the rest of the parts at the bottom of the screen, the game requires the use of both eyes.

And adopted the study, published this week in the journal Current Biology, eighteen volunteers with "eye of the zombie" were divided into two groups. The study monitored a significant improvement in the weak eye with nine participants, also improved their vision of things, and after two weeks of playing Tetris for one hour a day during heavy metal to certain glasses.

During the experiment, the researchers split the image between the adsty glasses, where you see one eye falling blocks from the top only, whereas other pieces at the bottom, as they changed the degree of contrast in the colors of the picture, it looks like the picture you see the stronger eye less contrast.

While the other group consisted of nine participants played the same game with strong eye, they showed an improvement in the capacity of weak eye sight but improved markedly increased after using both eyes to play with split image.

And the role of the game Tetris in treatment, said Robert Hayes, President of the Research Department of ophthalmology at McGill University, who led the research team, the success of the treatment is not; it is possible for any game or activity that requires visually accurate work of both eyes to be effective.

The estimates one out of every 50 children "zombie eye, and doctors try to intervene early treatment may lead to loss of vision in the left eye weaker.

The usual treatments in children cover the stronger eye with a piece of cloth, forcing the brain to use the weak eye, and thus improve their eyesight, but this treatment does not work in cases of older people.

Study finds the opposite of scientific belief that prevailed for a long time that why not treat "zombie eye" adult lies in the back of the brain. Instead, it is likely that the problem is the strong eye to disrupt communication between the brain and the eye is weaker, and the contrast in the pictures is not visible to the eye the stronger the more hindered the arrival of signals from the weaker eye.

Robert Hess said that payment of the eyes to work together increases the planing stroke adjustment, allows the weaker eye to learn again, vision and improves eyesight. And describe his/her method of treatment using video games more fun and faster to cover one eye. He added that most of the people involved have recovered their vision.

The researchers are planning to test the same way therapy with children with a view to finding a way more fun and entertaining and effective rather than cover one eye, as this method requires the child cover one eye for a period of three to six hours per day for a period of six months to a year, and that this method does not use the eye together over time less than the capacity of the eye vulnerable again.

The scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland announced last year to develop treatment for eye disease "zombie" children through a video game using the glasses, and still their research in the process of testing.