Vision Rehabilitation Training With Multimodal Feedback in Central Vision Loss
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: eccentric viewing training with biofeedback.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Low Vision, Central Visual Impairment, Macular Degeneration. Basic parameters: from 14 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
Central vision loss from macular degeneration creates blind spots that impair reading, face recognition, and navigation. Individuals must learn to use peripheral vision, requiring retraining of eye movements. Our preliminary research using high-speed eye tracking demonstrated that people with larger scotomas have impaired eye movement control, and that single-session visual feedback training showed limited immediate benefit, though combining feedback types showed promise. This study will evaluate whether extended binocular training (5 weekly sessions) with multimodal feedback improves eye movement control in 8-15 participants with bilateral central vision loss. Unlike conventional monocular rehabilitation systems, our approach trains both eyes simultaneously using real-time visual and auditory feedback during saccadic and smooth pursuit tasks. Participants will receive gaze-contingent scotoma awareness feedback, preferred retinal locus feedback, and auditory cues while performing eye tracking exercises. Primary outcomes include saccadic accuracy (latency, landing error, amplitude) and smooth pursuit parameters (gain, tracking accuracy). Secondary outcomes include contrast sensitivity and self-reported visual function. Success could establish an evidence base for accessible home-based training using virtual reality technology, potentially benefiting millions with macular degeneration.
Interventions
- Behavioral eccentric viewing training with biofeedback
Participants will complete 5 weekly training sessions (approximately 60 minutes each) performing eye movement exercises while receiving real-time multimodal feedback. Training includes: Saccadic Training: Visually-guided saccades to targets appearing at randomized locations with instructions to use peripheral (inferior) retinal locus. Targets shift horizontally, vertically, and obliquely to train all saccadic directions. Smooth Pursuit Training: Circular pursuit of moving targets at 2.6°/s in
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Saccadic Accuracy (Landing Error) [Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Change in Saccadic Latency [Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )]
- Change in Smooth Pursuit Gain [Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )]
- Change in Number of Catch-up Saccades During Pursuit [Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )]
- Change in Contrast Sensitivity Function [Time frame: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)]
- Change in Fixation Stability [Time frame: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)]
- Change in Vision Related Quality of Life [Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, at last training session - week 5, and post training (week 11 )]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
Bilateral central scotomas confirmed via computerized tangent screen Visual acuity between 20/60 and 20/200 (0.5 - 1.00 logMAR) in either eye Stable central vision loss (no change in visual acuity >0.2 logMAR in past 6 months) Age 14 years or older, with diagnosis of macular disease Normal cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) Ability to provide informed consent and complete study visits No major hearing loss Fluent in English
Exclusion criteria
Unstable ocular disease (e.g., ongoing treatments and/or injections) Peripheral vision loss of less than 40 degrees Conditions affecting oculomotor control independent of CVL
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- New England College of Optometry — Boston
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07577219 · Saccades 2.0