Journal of Clinical Medicine
Longitudinal Visual Recovery and Exploratory Neuroimaging Findings in Pediatric Deprivation Amblyopia Following Unilateral Congenital Cataract Extraction: A Prospective Cohort Study
By Shu-Hua Ni, Xiaoli Tang, Meng Li and 5 others.
Abstract
Objectives
Visual outcomes after unilateral congenital cataract (UCC) extraction remain variable, and the neuroanatomical changes accompanying subsequent visual improvement are poorly understood. This study characterized longitudinal changes in visual function and explored hemispheric asymmetry, longitudinal neuroimaging changes, and their associations with visual recovery in children after UCC extraction.
Methods
This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 55 children aged 5 to <9 years with unilateral deprivation amblyopia receiving optical correction, passive occlusion, and dichoptic training. We analyzed 6-month changes in central visual field (CVF; mean sensitivity [MS], mean defect [MD]) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). To assess structural alterations along the posterior visual pathways, a strictly controlled, exploratory subgroup of 18 right-handed patients (aged 5 to <8 years) with left-eye amblyopia underwent 3-Tesla (3T) MRI. Multiple comparisons in the neuroimaging and structure–function analyses were controlled using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) procedure.