Systematic Review: The Efficacy of Vision Therapy in Treating Binocular Vision Disorders
Abstract:
This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of vision therapy (VT) in treating binocular vision disorders, specifi cally convergence insufficiency (CI), amblyopia, and strabismus. Binocular vision disorders can cause significant impairments in visual function, including double vision, eye strain, and difficulties in depth perception. VT is a non-invasive treatment that aims to improve eye alignment and coordination through structured exercises. While traditional treatments, such as patching for amblyopia and surgery for strabismus, remain prevalent, VT has gained recognition as a viable alternative or adjunct. This review consolidates clinical data, meta-analyses, and studies published from 2000 to 2024 to assess the effectiveness of VT, with a particular focus on recent technolog ical innovations, including virtual reality (VR) and mobile applications. Our meta-analysis includes 15 studies, encompassing randomized controlled trials and cohort studies, to evaluate the overall efficacy of VT. Results show that office-based VT has significant positive effects on CI, with an effect size of 1.2, and is also effective for treating amblyopia and strabismus. Additionally, VR-assisted VT and mobile-based applications show promising outcomes, especially in enhancing patient engagement and improving long-term adherence. Despite these posi tive findings, variability in patient compliance, therapy duration, and long-term effects highlight the need for fur ther research. Overall, VT appears to be a highly effective treatment for binocular vision disorders, but continued investigation into its optimal protocols and long-term efficacy is essential.
