Perceptual Learning for Improving Vision

As mentioned earlier in this article, many other programs use perceptual learning to improve skills that rely not just on vision but on other senses as well.

Attention weighting trains the brain to notice important features and to ignore unimportant features. This method is a key component of speed reading programs.

Differentiation trains the brain to notice differences in stimuli that previously had been considered as a unit. Most academic research has focused on using differentiation as a tool for improving skills in math and reading.

Stimulus imprinting trains the brain to notice specific stimuli, to scan a field of information for the one fact or feature that is critical for making a decision. People can be trained to read for specific words or phrases, or to look for specific kinds of quantitative information. Whole stimulus imprinting shortens the time required to find the pertinent information in a field.

Unitization trains the brain to see complex figures, numbers, and reading passage as a single unit, triggering a quick response.

Programs like RevitalVision use computer programs to generate simple images flanked by "Gabor patches," which are duplicates of the image designed to make the target more or less immediately visible. At first the brain receives visual inputs showing all of the images on the screen. Because the eyes have a physical defect, there is double vision, a mental picture of more objects than appear on the screen. But because the Gabor patches are subtly lighter or darker than the target object, the brain learns to eliminate visual "noise" and to focus on one image in the middle of the screen. Over 40 or 50 training sessions, the brain learns to ignore double vision and see the world as if vision had been corrected, even though it has not.

RevitalVision can also help people get used to corrected vision. People who have been nearsighted all their lives who get LASIK surgery can be confused by a suddenly clear image of the world. Their brains may be so used to the fuzzy, blurry vision provided by nearsighted eyes that clear vision is confusing. Perceptual vision training can eliminate the perception of halos, starbursts, and glare at night.

See Also: Modern Technology And Digital Eyestrain

Likewise, people who have surgery to repair cataracts may experience eyestrain when reading small print, or visual fatigue when driving, because their brains simply are not used to a clear image of the world. Perceptual training programs like RevitalVision can help the brain stop trying to compensate for poor vision that the cataract surgery has corrected.

Perceptual training programs are also available for treating other vision problems, but they are only available with a prescription from an ophthalmologist. Perceptual training for vision problems is not yet something you can use on your own for improving vision.