Original Article Visual training system 4: a promising adjuvant therapy for ocular accommodative function and visual acuity improvement in refractive amblyopia patients

: Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Visual Training System 4 (VTS4) as an adjunctive therapy for patients with refractive amblyopia. Method: A total of 82 patients with refractive amblyopia (142 eyes) treated at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University, were enrolled and divided into two groups based on the treatment protocol. The control group included 40 patients (68 eyes) who received conventional comprehensive treatment, while the observation group was comprised of 42 patients (74 eyes) treated with VTS4 in addition to conventional therapy. The therapeutic effects, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), ocular accommodative function, and ocular convergence were compared between the two groups. Results: The total effective rate of visual improvement in the observation group was 86.49%, significantly higher than 66.18% in the control group. BCVA at 3 and 6 months was superior in the observation group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). At 6 months, the normal rate of binocular fusion images in the observation group was 94.59%, higher than 76.47% in the control group. The observation group showed greater improvement in accommodative flexibility and amplitude, and lower accommodative lag compared to the control group. Improvements in negative relative accommodation, positive relative accommodation, and near point of convergence were also more pronounced in the observation group (all P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in SE, axial length, or corneal curvature within or between the groups before and after treatment (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: VTS4, as an adjunctive therapy for refractive amblyopia, significantly improves visual acuity, enhances accommodative and convergence functions, and demonstrates strong clinical applicability.