Virtual Reality for Enhancement of Vision

Stanford University22 enrolled

Overview

This project aims to evaluate the use of Virtual Reality (VR) based visual stimulation for the treatment of blindness arising from Glaucoma and other retinal diseases or disorders of the visual system, through regeneration of axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in humans. In certain cases of blindness, such as in Glaucoma, or in certain injuries, the optic nerves behind the retina of our eyes get damaged, leading to partial blindness, mostly near the periphery of our eye. Recent research in Dr.Huberman's laboratory has identified visual stimulation as a non-invasive model for regeneration of such damaged axons in rodents, back to the vision centers of their brain.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Glaucoma Vision Disorder

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 12 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: For subjects with glaucoma, other retinal diseases, or disorders of the visual system: * 1\. Patient age \> 12 years * 2\. Compliance with investigator instructions, tests and visit during subject participation in the study. * 3\. Sufficient fixation ability * 4.Best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or better in at least one eye, or capable to see the visual stimulus at least in one eye. For healthy volunteers: * 1\. Patient age \> 12 years * 2\. Compliance with investigator instructions, tests and visit during subject participation in the study. * 3.Best corrected visual acuity of 20/20 in both eyes. * 4\. Sufficient fixation ability Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Electric or electronic implants (such as cardiac pacemaker) * 2\. Any metal artifacts in the head or truncus area (with the exception of dental implants) * 3\. Epilepsy and photo-sensibility; acute auto-immune diseases * 4\. Acute conjunctivitis * 5\. Pathological nystagmus

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in Visual Field Index (VFI)

VFI (expressed as a percentage) is a global measure of the visual field used to quantify the extent of visual field loss, with 100% representing a normal visual field and 0% indicating complete blindness.

Time frame: Baseline, Month 9, Month 24

Change in Mean Deviation Index (MD)

MD is a global measure of the visual field. It is a statistical index that represents the average difference in visual field sensitivity compared to a normal age-matched population. It provides an overall measure of visual field loss in decibels, with more negative values indicating greater loss. Normal vision MD is better than -2dB, with end-stage glaucoma represented by a value of less than -20dB.

Time frame: Baseline, Month 9, Month 24

Secondary Outcomes

Retinal Layer Thickness Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

OCT is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses light waves to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the eye, and is used to diagnose and manage various eye conditions.

Time frame: baseline and month 9

Change in Best Corrected Visual Acuity

Monocular Best Corrected Distance Visual Acuity in logMAR. Visual acuity of 20/20 = 0.00 on the logMAR scale, higher scores indicate worse vision (20/800 is the equivalent of 1.6 logMAR).