Clinical Trial: Oculomotor Training Improves Reading Eye Movement

Study Status: Active, not recruiting
Recruit Status: Active, not recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Oculomotor Training Improves Reading Eye Movement

Brief Summary: Children with reading eye movement problems were recruited for this study. The treatment group was provided with oculomotor training for 8 weeks, the control group was given placebo exercises.

Detailed Summary:

Purpose of study Reading is one of the integral elements for learning and poor readers were reported to have less efficient reading eye movements. They were typically characterized by having higher number in fixation and regression, reduced reading speed and perceptual span. The purpose of this study was to investigate if vision therapy which limited to training of oculomotor skills can improve reading eye movement.

Methodology This was a randomized, prospective study. 30 subjects aged from 8-9 years of age with reading difficulties and reading eye movement problems were recruited. They all have normal intelligence and ocular health, but failed to meet the Taylor reading eye movement norms when tested with the Visagraph III. The subjects were randomly assigned into either the treatment group (15) or the control group (15). The treatment group had to go through a course of oculomotor vision therapy and the control group was given placebo exercises. Vision therapy for the treatment group involved 8 weeks of training (office training - 3 times a week, 30 min per session; home training - 4 times a week, 30 min per session). Office training involved the use of Vis-Flex (Visual Flexibility Trainer - an electronic device with L.E.D. lights which can display various flashing patterns at variable speeds). Home training involved several saccadic eye movement exercises. Subjects and parents were also asked to grade the reading symptoms checklist before and after the training.


Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Current Primary Outcome: Change in number of fixation and regression during reading after 8 weeks of oculomotor training [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]

number of fixation and regression is measured by Visagraph per 100 words


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Change in reading rate during reading after 8 weeks of oculomotor training [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]
    reading rate in number of words/min and fixation duration measured in seconds
  • Change in perceptual span (words per fixation) during reading after 8 weeks of oculomotor training [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]
    perceptual span measured in words per fixation
  • Change in fixation duration (seconds) during reading after 8 weeks of oculomotor training [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]
    fixation duration measured in seconds
  • Change in symptom scores after 8 weeks of oculomotor training [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]
    symptom scores is calculated with a scale of 0 to 4 for all the 8 items of manifested symptoms


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dates:
Date Received: August 17, 2016
Date Started: January 2015
Date Completion: January 2017
Last Updated: November 30, 2016
Last Verified: November 2016