At the end of November company Smart Optometry proudly announced, that its digital vision-therapy platform AmblyoPlay has been clinically proven effective, following the publication of the first peer-reviewed scientific study evaluating its therapeutic impact in pediatric anisometropic amblyopia. The six-month controlled clinical study demonstrated significant improvements across visual acuity, stereopsis, oculomotor function, and motor coordination in children aged 7 to 13 years.

AmblyoPlay, a gamified, app-based multimodal therapy system, was evaluated in a prospective pilot study conducted at Istanbul Medipol University. Over a six-month period, children performing daily home-based dichoptic training showed clinically meaningful gains in visual acuity, binocular depth perception, eye-movement control, and hand-eye coordination, meanwhile mentioned outcomes were not observed in the age-matched control group. These findings provide the first published clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of AmblyoPlay as a digital therapeutic tool for amblyopia management.

Amblyopia, particularly its anisometropic subtype, arises from unequal refractive error between the eyes, leading to chronic cortical suppression and impaired binocular integration. Traditional treatments such as patching often face challenges including limited effectiveness in older children, low compliance, and a narrow focus on monocular acuity. AmblyoPlay addresses these limitations by applying dichoptic stimulation and adaptive, game-based multimodal exercises that engage both eyes simultaneously while also challenging visual-motor and oculomotor systems. This modern, child-friendly approach aims to rehabilitate not only acuity, but also binocular function, motor coordination, and broader sensorimotor integration, areas increasingly recognized as affected in amblyopia.

The study enrolled 29 children (14 undergoing AmblyoPlay therapy and 15 controls) and assessed outcomes at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months.Notable results include:

  • Visual Acuity: Mean BCVA in the amblyopic eye improved from 0.23 to 0.08 logMAR, equivalent to approximately 1.5 lines on a logMAR chart.
  • Stereopsis: Median stereoacuity improved from 300 arcsec to 45 arcsec, indicating a substantial gain in binocular depth perception.
  • Oculomotor Function: Significant reductions in saccadic latency and increases in smooth pursuit and optokinetic gain demonstrated enhanced oculomotor control.
  • Motor Coordination: Performance on BOT-2 upper-limb coordination and balance subtests improved significantly over six months, showing functional benefits beyond visual outcomes.
  • Controls: No meaningful changes occurred in the non-treated group, confirming that improvements were attributable to the intervention.

Collectively, the study shows that AmblyoPlay strengthens multiple visual and sensorimotor pathways, offering a comprehensive therapeutic profile distinct from conventional amblyopia treatments. This study marks an important milestone – the first scientific, peer-reviewed clinical evidence evaluating AmblyoPlay in a real-world pediatric population. By demonstrating improvements in visual, binocular, oculomotor, and motor domains, the findings support a paradigm shift toward integrative, multimodal rehabilitation for amblyopia, especially for school-aged children who have traditionally been considered less responsive to treatment. Matic Vogrič, CEO at Smart Optometry, when asked about what clinical study means to the company, said.

“This independent clinical validation is a major milestone for us, confirming that AmblyoPlay is not only engaging but clinically effective. Thousands of real-user success stories are now reinforced by rigorous scientific evidence. It’s a strong endorsement of our team’s work and our mission moving forward.”

AmblyoPlay was created in 2018 and has since been used by tens of thousands of families worldwide. With these newly published clinical results, the program’s role as a validated digital therapy becomes even more firmly established, paving the way for broader adoption across optometry, ophthalmology, and vision-therapy practices. When asked about Smart Optometry’s long-term strategy, Vogrič adds.

“These findings validate our scientific approach and confirm we are moving in the right strategic direction. They enhance our credibility with clinical andacademic partners and open opportunities for new research and collaboration. This foundation will guide future development and help us deliver accessible, high-quality eye-care solutions globally.”

Media Contact

Luka Miklavč ič

Marketing Assistant at Smart Optometry

luka.miklavcic@smart-optometry.com



Get the latest Optical News delivered to you. Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazine and weekly newsletter