The Power of Dichoptic Training: Why Red/Blue Glasses?
You might remember red and blue glasses from old 3D movies, but did you know they are a powerful tool for treating lazy eye? Let's explore "Dichoptic Training" and how it teaches your brain to use both eyes together.
What is Dichoptic Training?
"Di" (two) + "Optic" (vision). Simply put, it means training both eyes simultaneously but independently.
Traditional patching is "monocular" (one-eyed) training—it forces the lazy eye to work by covering the strong eye. While effective for strengthening vision, it doesn't teach the eyes how to work together as a team. Dichoptic training bridges this gap.
How Red/Blue Mode Works in Piggy Peekaboo
When you enable Red/Blue 3D Mode in the game settings and wear standard anaglyph glasses (Red on Left, Blue on Right):
- The Background turns Red: The Red lens filters this out, so only the Blue eye (usually the good eye) sees the background landscape.
- The Piggy turns Blue: The Blue lens filters this out, so only the Red eye (usually the lazy eye) sees the target.
This creates a unique situation: To find the Piggy within the landscape, your brain MUST combine the images from both eyes. If the lazy eye "shuts off" (suppression), the Piggy disappears. If the good eye shuts off, the world disappears.
Breaking the "Suppression" Habit
The biggest enemy in amblyopia is "suppression." Because the image from the lazy eye is blurry or confusing, the brain actively ignores it. Over time, this becomes a habit.
Dichoptic training forces the brain to "un-ignore" the lazy eye. It's like a gym workout for binocular fusion. By constantly requiring input from both eyes to play the game, it breaks down suppression and begins to restore 3D depth perception (stereopsis).
Is it Better than Patching?
It's not necessarily "better," but it is a complementary approach.
- Patching is great for boosting visual acuity (seeing 20/20) in the lazy eye.
- Dichoptic Training is superior for developing Binocular Vision and stereo acuity (3D vision).
Many vision therapists recommend a combination of both. Think of patching as lifting weights to build muscle, and dichoptic training as learning to dance or play a sport with that muscle.
How to Get Started
- Get Glasses: You need standard Red/Cyan anaglyph glasses. They are very cheap and available online (Amazon, eBay, etc.).
- Configure Game: Open Piggy Peekaboo, go to "Training Mode", and toggle "Red/Blue 3D Mode".
- Check Eye: Ensure the RED lens is over your LEFT eye. If your lazy eye is the Right eye, the default settings work. If your lazy eye is the Left eye, you might need to wear the glasses normally or flip them depending on which eye needs to see the target (the Blue Piggy is seen by the Red eye's filter logic, so usually the Lazy eye looks through Red to see the "dark" target against red). Wait, let's simplify: Ideally, the lazy eye should see the **Target (Piggy)**. In our game, the Piggy is Blue (dark) and Background is Red. The **Red Lens** makes the Red background 'invisible' (white/bright) but makes the Blue Piggy appear Dark/Black. So the eye behind the Red Lens sees the Piggy. Put the Red Lens over the Lazy Eye.
Note: If you are unsure which eye should wear which color, try closing one eye at a time. The eye that sees the Piggy clearly against the background is the one doing the work!
Ready to try? Grab a pair of red/blue glasses and switch up your daily routine!
Play NowDichoptic Therapy References
- Antisuppression Therapy: Hess, R. F., Mansouri, B., & Thompson, B. (2010). A binocular approach to treating amblyopia: antisuppression therapy. Optometry and Vision Science, 87(9), 697-704.
- Binocular Game Therapy: Kelly, K. R., Jost, R. M., Dao, L., Beauchamp, C. L., Leffler, J. N., & Birch, E. E. (2016). Binocular iPad Game vs Patching for Treatment of Amblyopia in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmology, 134(12), 1402-1408.