AIM: To observe the long-term effect of visual perceptual learning to correct anisometropic amblyopia in children.

METHODS: The clinical data of 200 children(200 eyes)with anisometropic amblyopia were retrospectively analyzed, which were divided into 2 groups according to therapeutic methods, and 82 children treated with traditional integrative therapy were distributed to the control group, while 118 children treated with visual perceptual learning were distributed to the observation group. After 1 year's treatment, the corrected vision, contrast sensitivity and stereo sharpness of patients were compared between groups.

RESULTS: After 1 year's treatment, the effective rate of the observation group was higher than the controls(90.7% vs 75.6%, P<0.05), and after 1 year's follow up, there was 92.5% patients maintained stabilization in the observation group, while that in the control group was 80.6%, and the observation group was higher than the controls too, the difference between groups had statistical significance(P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in contrast sensitivity between groups(P>0.05). After 6 and 12 months' treatment, the contrast sensitivity of both groups increased(P<0.05), and the observation group was higher than the controls after 12 months' treatment, the difference between groups had statistical significance(P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in stereopsis acuity between groups(P>0.05). After treatment, the stereopsis acuity of the observation group was better than the controls, and the difference between groups had statistical significance(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The long-term curative effect of visual perception learning to correct children's refractive aberration is better than traditional comprehensive therapy.