DUST OFF THAT TETRIS GAME ; STUDY FINDS GAME TREATS AMBLYOPIA OR LAZY EYE

 

photo: McGill university

Only 3% of the population suffers from amblyopia.  The condition is also known as 'lazy eye'.  

A new study at the McGill univ. in Montreal has shown that playing the game Tetris might resolve the condition.  In general the game forces both eyes to have to focus on the same thing, while the subject plays the game.  

There is almost no treatment for lazy eye, or wandering eye, as it is called in some countries.  This new finding could offer a novel and efficient tool to train the eyes to work together, and thereby improving the processing of information in the brain.  

In people with amblyopia, the laggard eye takes second place to the dominant eye, which suppresses the information 'seen' by the lazy eye.  

Playing the game, forces the dominant eye into an equal share of the information processing, thereby retraining the brain to use both eyes equally.

The improvements shown were dramatic.  This finding could lead to the employment of the game to treat the condition by eye doctors.  

Source: Cnet 4.23.13