3D video games may boost stereoacuity
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DENVER — Playing stereoscopic 3D video games could improve stereoacuity and potentially benefit patients with amblyopia, according to a study presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
“Our previous study showed that [3D video games] helped to improve stereoacuity,” Betty Z. Li told Healio/OSN. “We took a second look to see if it would modify contrast with that immersive 3D game experience.”
Li and colleagues recruited 24 healthy young adults with limited previous video game experience for the study. Twelve participants in the treatment group played 3D first-person shooter games for 40 hours, while 12 participants in the control group played the 2D version of the games for the same amount of time. Stereoacuity and contrast sensitivity were measured before and after the video game intervention.
Participants in the treatment group showed an improvement of 33.5% in stereoacuity after playing 3D games (P = .004) but no improvement in contrast sensitivity. There was no significant change in stereoacuity in the control group after playing 2D games.
Li said it was unclear why the games improved stereoacuity but not contrast, but the researchers hope to continue to explore 3D immersive video games and how they might help patients with amblyopia.
“We’re looking to see if it’s further along in the pathway,” she said. “We’re going to see if there is a different way to test contrast. ... Maybe it’s in a different spatial frequency. We’re looking more into the details there.”
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Li BZ, et al. Stereoscopic 3D videogame play boosts stereoacuity, but not contrast sensitivity. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting; May 1-4, 2022; Denver.
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