Changing views on visual neuroplasticity lead to novel treatments for adults with amblyopia

INTRODUCTION Advances in our understanding of different sensitive periods for visual development from laboratory studies has not yet impinged upon clinical practice for the treatment of amblyopia. The fact that human amblyopia has been treated the same way (classical occlusion therapy) for the past 200 yrs has mislead us to think that the sensitive period that is associated with occlusion therapy (only children) is ubiquitous.AREAS COVERED A host of more active laboratory-based therapies, namely noninvasive brain stimulation, dichoptic binocular therapy and perceptual learning are shown to be associated with much more extended sensitive periods than that of classical occlusion.EXPERT OPINION Clinically, our current view that amblyopia can only be treated in children is true only for classical occlusion therapy. There is now a range of other emerging treatment options that may allow for successful amblyopia treatment independent of age. Randomized clinical trials are warranted to assess the clinical utility of these new approaches in adults with amblyopia.