Early Detection and Prevention of Amblyopia and Visual Impairment Through Systematic Pediatric Vision Screening

NCT ID: NCT07112560

Last Updated: 2025-08-08

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-09-30

Study Completion Date

2026-09-30

Brief Summary

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Amblyopia, characterized by reduced visual acuity, develops in childhood due to insufficient sensory stimulation of the affected eye. It is the leading cause of low vision and loss of stereoscopic vision in both children and adults. Currently, 99 million people worldwide are affected, with recent projections indicating 222 million by 2040. Amblyopia can result from anisometropia (70%), strabismus (30%), or the presence of an ocular pathology (1%). Early management of these conditions (before the age of 7) can prevent the onset of amblyopia. Therefore, screening for these conditions is a major public health challenge to reduce the prevalence and associated costs of visual impairment.

The French-speaking Association of Strabology and Pediatric Ophthalmology (AFSOP) recommends systematic amblyopia screening for 3-year-old children. This screening involves measuring monocular visual acuity in both eyes (LEA chart at 3 meters), checking for strabismus (cover/uncover test), and performing a stereoscopic vision test (e.g., Lang I test).

Amblyopia is currently underdiagnosed for two main reasons: 1) it is often asymptomatic (75% of cases) and therefore cannot be detected without systematic screening; and 2) there is significant difficulty in accessing medical care in certain regions, and thus access to professionals capable of performing this screening (doctors, orthoptists). The difficulty in accessing healthcare professionals capable of screening for amblyopia in children aged 3 to 7 has already been raised.

We believe it would be beneficial to have an alternative screening method that is equivalent to the AFSOP-recommended method and accessible in areas with limited healthcare professionals. An eye-tracking system implemented in a virtual reality (VR) headset has recently been developed for monitoring eye movements. This system has shown effectiveness in rehabilitating visual field impairments in patients with traumatic brain injury. The system allows for remote monitoring of rehabilitation sessions, and data can be downloaded and viewed remotely via Wi-Fi.

The main objective of this study will be to estimate the sensitivity of the new VR-based eye-tracking screening method amblyopia screening method using an eye-tracking system implemented in a virtual reality headset compared to standard screening in children aged 3 to 7 years.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Amblyopia

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

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Amblyopic patient

Patient aged between 3 and 7 years, with amblyopia diagnosed by standard reference screening within the three months preceding the signing of the informed consent form.

Standard screening procedure for amblyopia

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The standard examination for amblyopia screening consists of three steps:

A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask.

A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision.

New amblyopia screening method using a virtual reality headset.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The examination with the virtual reality headset consists of three main steps: A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask. The eye-tracking system analyzes fixation and the visual response of the stimulated eye. A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image projected inside the headset. Eye movements are tracked to detect any deviations or abnormalities in ocular coordination. A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision, in which the child must identify three-dimensional images hidden within a virtual board. The eye-tracking system detects fixation on the images and allows evaluation of depth perception

Non Amblyopic patient

Patient aged between 3 and 7 years, non-amblyopic, who underwent routine screening confirming the absence of amblyopia or any other ocular condition that could lead to amblyopia, within the three months prior to signing the informed consent form.

Standard screening procedure for amblyopia

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The standard examination for amblyopia screening consists of three steps:

A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask.

A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision.

New amblyopia screening method using a virtual reality headset.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The examination with the virtual reality headset consists of three main steps: A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask. The eye-tracking system analyzes fixation and the visual response of the stimulated eye. A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image projected inside the headset. Eye movements are tracked to detect any deviations or abnormalities in ocular coordination. A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision, in which the child must identify three-dimensional images hidden within a virtual board. The eye-tracking system detects fixation on the images and allows evaluation of depth perception

Interventions

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Standard screening procedure for amblyopia

The standard examination for amblyopia screening consists of three steps:

A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask.

A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

New amblyopia screening method using a virtual reality headset.

The examination with the virtual reality headset consists of three main steps: A monocular visual acuity assessment using optotypes from the LEA scale, presented from the simplest to the most complex in front of each eye via an alternating occlusion mask. The eye-tracking system analyzes fixation and the visual response of the stimulated eye. A cover/uncover test, during which the child is required to fixate on an image projected inside the headset. Eye movements are tracked to detect any deviations or abnormalities in ocular coordination. A Lang I stereopsis test performed under binocular vision, in which the child must identify three-dimensional images hidden within a virtual board. The eye-tracking system detects fixation on the images and allows evaluation of depth perception

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients aged 3 to 7 years at the time of consent signing.
* Patients followed in the Ophthalmology Department of Strasbourg University Hospital (CHU Strasbourg).
* Holders of parental authority must be affiliated with or beneficiaries of the health insurance system.
* Holders of parental authority must be capable of understanding the objectives and risks related to the research, and able to provide dated and signed informed consent.
* Amblyopic patients must have amblyopia diagnosed by the reference screening method.
* Non-amblyopic patients must have undergone routine screening confirming the absence of amblyopia or any other ocular condition that could lead to amblyopia.
* Screening must be performed in the Ophthalmology Department of CHU Strasbourg, unless a prior screening has been performed according to established guidelines and fully documented in a report by the patient's ophthalmologist (detailed results of the three standard screening tests).
* The screening examination must have been performed within the three months prior to the signing of the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria

* Amblyopic children currently undergoing treatment or having previously received treatment for amblyopia (optical correction, strabismus surgery, occlusion therapy, orthoptic rehabilitation).
* Children presenting conditions or states that may cause side effects related to the use of the virtual reality headset (epilepsy, neurological or developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, dizziness, nausea, claustrophobia, etc.).
* Inability to provide informed information to the patient or holders of parental authority (emergency situations, difficulties in patient comprehension, etc.).
Minimum Eligible Age

3 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

7 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Nouvel Hôpital Civil

Strasbourg, , France

Site Status

Countries

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France

Central Contacts

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Léa DORMEGNY

Role: CONTACT

0613325143 ext. +33

Lauriana SOLECKI

Role: CONTACT

0369550939 ext. +33

Facility Contacts

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Léa DORMEGNY

Role: primary

0613325143 ext. +33

Lauriana SOLECKI

Role: backup

0369550939 ext. +33

References

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Misawa M, Bajin IY, Zhang B, Daibert-Nido M, Tchao D, Garcia-Giler E, Cheung K, Appel L, Nasir P, Reginald A, Tabori U, Bartels U, Ramaswamy V, Markowitz SN, Bouffet E, Reber M. A telerehabilitation program to improve visual perception in children and adolescents with hemianopia consecutive to a brain tumor: a single-arm feasibility and proof-of-concept trial. EClinicalMedicine. 2024 Nov 29;78:102955. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102955. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39687429 (View on PubMed)

Daibert-Nido M, Pyatova Y, Cheung K, Nayomi C, Markowitz SN, Bouffet E, Reber M. Case Report: Visual Rehabilitation in Hemianopia Patients. Home-Based Visual Rehabilitation in Patients With Hemianopia Consecutive to Brain Tumor Treatment: Feasibility and Potential Effectiveness. Front Neurol. 2021 Jul 21;12:680211. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.680211. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34354660 (View on PubMed)

Bois C, Milcent K, Dufourg M, Charles M. Bilan de santé des enfants de 3-4 ans en école maternelle par la Protection Maternelle Infantile en 2014-2016 : disparités départementales des pratiques. Bulletin Epidémiologique Hebdomadaire. Janvier 2020

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lequeux L, Thouvenin D, Couret C, Audren F, Costet C, Dureau P, Leruez S, Defoordt-Dhellemmes S, Daien V, Espinasse Berrod MA, Arsene S, Lebranchu P, Denis D, Bui-Quoc E, Speeg-Schatz C. [Vision screening for children: Recommended practices from AFSOP]. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2021 Feb;44(2):244-251. doi: 10.1016/j.jfo.2020.07.005. Epub 2020 Dec 30. French.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33388188 (View on PubMed)

Kaur S, Sharda S, Aggarwal H, Dadeya S. Comprehensive review of amblyopia: Types and management. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 Jul;71(7):2677-2686. doi: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_338_23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37417105 (View on PubMed)

Fu Z, Hong H, Su Z, Lou B, Pan CW, Liu H. Global prevalence of amblyopia and disease burden projections through 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Aug;104(8):1164-1170. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314759. Epub 2019 Nov 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31704700 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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9746

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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