Can 'Tetris' Cure Lazy Eye?

Chelsea Stark2013-04-23 21:35:06 UTC

The endlessly addictive Tetris may be good for the treatment of lazy eye, according to a study released by McGill University scientists. The act of following Tetris pieces down the screen causes both eyes to work together, the Montreal-based team wrote in Current Biology.

The tests were conducted with a special pair of goggles that made subjects play games for about an hour each day, first with the affected eye covered, then with both eyes uncovered.

Lazy eye, medically known as amblyopia, is when one eye doesn't develop properly; the symptoms are that both eyes often don't point in the same direction, and the affected eye will squint. Traditionally, eye doctors would patch the stronger eye to allow the weaker one to catch up, but if future studies can replicate these results, patching may not be necessary.

The McGill scientists conducted their limited trial with 18 adults, so the study is somewhat preliminary. But the BBC reports efforts to replicate the study, especially with child subjects, are underway.

Children are more commonly treated with the patching technique. What kid wouldn't want their doctor to order them to play more video games?

The BBC quotes Dr. Robert Hess who says any number of video games could be used in treatment instead of Tetris.

"When we get the two eyes working together, we find the vision improves," Hess said. "It's much better than patching, much more enjoyable, it's faster and it seems to work better."

What do you think of the findings of this study? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Image courtesy Tetris.

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