HEROES Study
WHO ARE WE?
Hello! Our names are Hanna, Betina, Holly, and Claudia. We are a team of scientists at the University of Oxford and École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and we are running the HEROES study. We will be recruiting adults to take part in our brain imaging study. Please get in touch with the study team for more information: vision.study@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.
WHAT IS THE HEROES STUDY?
HEROES is short for Homeostatic plasticity and Exercise to Restore Optimal vision in lazy Eye Syndrome
We are interested in understanding how the brain is organised, processes information and performs skills such as seeing with two eyes. Some people have “lazy eye” which means that the input to the brain from the left and right eye was not equal when they were children. Lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is thought to be linked to the function of the visual part of the brain, and the signals that control information processing in the brain.
Although this may be counterintuitive, studies show that patching one eye can boost the functioning of this eye which we think is because the brain is adapting in response to the patching to maintain balance. More recently, research has shown that patching the amblyopic eye alone (“reverse patching”) or reverse patching the amblyopic eye and carrying out physical exercise may improve vision.
Here, we are interested in investigating whether there are any changes in the brain that might support the improvement in vision. We can investigate this by using a safe technique called Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to scan the brain. We hope that these findings will lead to better treatment for amblyopia in the future.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are looking for 18-50 year old healthy adults with amblyopia to take part in our brain imaging research.
To be eligible, you:
- Have been recently been diagnosed as having a lazy eye by an orthoptist (< 3 years), or suspect you have lazy eye and are willing to attend a screening (organised by us) to confirm this.
- Have an up-to-date visual prescription (< 2 years).
- Are English speaking, and willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
- Are a healthy adult, aged 18 to 50 years.
- Are not currently taking any medications (except the contraceptive pill).
- Are not pregnant or breast feeding.
- Have no orthoptic or ocular impairment other than lazy eye or visual correction.
- Have no neurological or psychiatric illness.
- Have no MRI scan specific contraindications e.g. use of antipsychotic medication, history of migraine, frequent cigarette (more than 1 cigarette per day within the past 3 months) and/or alcohol consumption (more than 14 units of alcohol/week, over 3 days or more, ie – 6 x glasses wine or 6 pints of 4% beer). These can interfere with some of the measurements during one of the MRI scans.
- Have no MRI contraindications e.g. presence of metallic implants, a pacemaker, recent surgery etc.
- Are able and willing to travel to the lab for study visits
WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION INVOLVE?
Pre-Screening Visit
- Participants will have a 30-minute session to assess their vision
- Participants who meet our inclusion/ exclusion criteria will be invited to take part in our study
Study Visits
- Participants will take part for 4 days
- During these 4 days of visual rehabilitation you will complete:
- 3 days of reverse patching (at home) or
- 3 days of reverse patching + exercise (in the lab)
- Before and after the visual rehabilitation (Days 1 and 4) you will be asked to complete:
- an MRI scan (lasting up to 60 minutes)
- vision tests
- questionnaires
- Each visit will last up between 3 and 8 hours, depending on the day
WHERE DO HEROES STUDY VISITS TAKE PLACE?
All visits will take place at the Wellcome Centre of Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN) at the John Radcliffe, in Headington, Oxford.
WILL I BE REIMBURSED?
Your time and travel expenses will be reimbursed.
CONTACT
If you have any questions, want more information, then please get in touch with the study team: vision.study@ndcn.ox.ac.uk
We would love to hear from you!