Table 1.
Selected publications on methods to improve visual fields in low vision following either vision training (behavioral exercises), non-invasive brain current stimulation, or drug treatment (see reviews by Sabel et al. 2011b; Matteo et al. 2016; de Haan et al. 2014 and further studies in the reference list)
| Reference | Indication | Treatment / study design | Improvements |
| Vision Training | |||
| Polat (2004) | Amblyopia | Training with Gabor patterns (n = 77) vs. control (n = 16), RCS | contrast sensitivity, acuity |
| Sabel (2014) | Glaucoma | VRT (n = 15) vs. visual discrimination training (n = 15) 6 x/week, 2x daily for 30 min, RCS | Detection accuracy in perimetry, reaction time |
| Sahraie (2006) | cortical blindness | Visual detection training (n = 12) Daily for 3 months, RCS | Detection accuracy, contrast sensitivity, visual awareness, threshold perimetry |
| Kasten (1998) | Post-chiasma &optic neuropathy | VRT (n = 19) vs. control group (n = 19) 1 hr./day for 6 months, RCS | Detection accuracy, visual field border shift |
| Jobke (2009) | Post-chiasmatic | extra-striate VRT vs. standard VRT (n = 18) in a cross-over study (n = 8/10), RCS | Detection accuracy, letter identification, threshold perimetry, quality of life measures |
| Poggel (2004) | Post-chiasmatic | Attention cue VRT (n = 9) vs. standard VRT (n = 10), RCS | Detection accuracy, threshold perimetry, visual field size |
| Dundon (2015) | Post-chiasmatic | Visual stimulation combined with auditory cuing (n = 8, 4 hrs. daily for 2 weeks), RCS | visual detection and exploration |
| Brain current stimulation | |||
| Sabel (2011a) | Optic Neuropathy | ACS (n = 12) vs. control (n = 10); 10 Tage for 20–40 min., RCS | Detection accuracy, reaction time, threshold perimetry, near- and far-vision |
| Gall (2011) | Opticus-Neuropathy | ACS (n = 24) vs. control (n = 18), 10 Tage à 20–40 min., RCS | Detection accuracy, visual field size, foveal threshold |
| Gall (2016) | Opticus-Neuropathy /glaucoma | ACS (n = 49) vs. control (n = 37), 10 Tage à 20–40 min., RCS | Detection accuracy, foveal (5)threshold |
| Plow (2012) | Opticus-Neuropathy /glaucoma | Direct current plus VRT vs. VRT alone (n = 8) 3×1 hr./week, for 3 months), RCS | Visual field expansion, activities of daily living |
| Drugs | |||
| Flammer (1983a) | Early glaucoma | Acetazolamide 3×250 mg Tablets over 12 hrs.; Single case, studied twice with 5 months interval | Perimetric threshold at 24 hrs. after each of the two test which were 5 months apart |
| Konieczka (2016c) | POAG &ON compartment syndrome | Case series (n = 7), low dose calcium channel blocker (nifedipine, amlodipine) and magnesium | Optic nerve width, assessed by eye socket echography; perimetry (only single case) |
Abbreviations: PAOG (primary open angle glaucoma), ACS (alternating current stimulation), DCS (direct current stimulation), VRT (vision restoration training), RCS (randomized, controlled study).