Objective        To observe the clinical efficacy of perceptual learning training in the treatment of older patients with amblyopia.       Methods         Prospective case study was carried out in 60 amblyopic patients at an age from 6 to 24 years old subjected in our center. They all undertook the perceptual

learning training. Before training

logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuities were taken for the non-amblyopic eye and the amblyopic eye with best correction. Seven sets of spatial frequency contrast sensitivity function measurements were also taken. With the non-amblyopic eye covered

perceptual learning training was performed on the amblyopic eye for 30 min once a day

for a treatment course of 10 d. At the end of the treatment period

logMAR visual acuities and contrast sensitivity function measurements were measured for the non-amblyopic and amblyopic eye.       Results        Before treatment

the logMAR visual acuity of the non-amblyopic eye was 0.020 0±0.105 0

while after treatment

the acuity was 0.004 4±0.099 6 (

P

=0.023 0). Before training

the logMAR visual acuity of the amblyopic eye was 0.532 7±0.381 8 while after training

the acuity was 0.443 9±0.304 4 (

P

=0.000 0). At all 7 groups of spatial frequencies

the changes in contrast sensitivity for the non-amblyopic eye were not statistically significant. For the amblyopic eye

no significant improvement was noted in the contrast sensitivity of spatial frequencies of 0.5

1 and 2 before and after training. However

for spatial frequencies of 4

8

12 and 16

there was significant improvement (

P

0.05). For amblyopic patients ≤12 years old

there was no statistical significance in both the non-amblyopic and amblyopic eye in contrast sensitivity before and after training at all 7 spatial frequencies. For amblyopic patients 12 years old

the difference in contrast sensitivity before and after training for the non-amblyopic eye was significant only at the spatial frequency of 12

16 (

P

0.05) and not for the other 5 groups. In comparison

the difference in contrast sensitivity before and after training for the amblyopic eye was statistically significant for the spatial frequencies of 0.5

1

4

8

12 and 16 (

P

0.05).       Conclusion       Perceptual learning can significantly improve contrast sensi

tivity

especially

in the high spatial frequency contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in amblyopic patients with some improvements in the non-amblyopic eye

and also can improve the visual acuity of the non-amblyopic eye. This type of training shows better results for the amblyopic eye in older subjects compared to younger subjects.