AMBLYOPIA: PERSPECTIVES ON DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION

Abstract

Amblyopia, commonly known as "lazy eye," is an ophthalmological disorder characterized by reduced visual acuity in one or both eyes, which occurs due to an abnormality in visual development, even after the correction of optical issues such as refractive errors. This disorder is the leading cause of unilateral visual impairment in children, affecting about 2-3% of the pediatric population, and it can persist into adulthood if not treated properly. Amblyopia usually results from conditions such as strabismus, anisometropia, and visual deprivation, for example, caused by congenital cataracts, which prevent normal vision development. Brain plasticity, essential for the visual recovery process, is more pronounced in childhood, making early treatment crucial. Traditional therapeutic approaches include the use of occlusion of the dominant eye and optical penalization, techniques aimed at stimulating the use of the affected eye. However, as brain plasticity decreases over the years, treatment becomes less effective with age. In recent years, new therapeutic approaches, such as binocular stimulation and perceptual therapy, have been studied, aiming for greater efficacy and better results compared to conventional techniques. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these new interventions, especially in older patients, is still under extensive investigation, and long-term data remain a challenge for researchers in the field of ophthalmology.