Low VisionNCT07577219
Vision Rehabilitation Training With Multimodal Feedback in Central Vision Loss
A study testing eccentric viewing training with biofeedback in people with Low Vision and Central Visual Impairment, run by New England College of Optometry at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Central vision loss from macular degeneration creates blind spots that impair reading, face recognition, and navigation. Individuals must learn to use peripheral vision, requiring retraining of eye movements. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Low Vision, Central Visual Impairment, Macular Degeneration
- What is being tested?
- eccentric viewing training with biofeedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 31 Jan 2026to 1 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 14 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Bilateral central scotomas confirmed via computerized tangent screen Visual acuity between 20/60 and 20/200 (0.5 - 1.00 logMAR) in either eye Stable central vision loss (no change in visual acuity >0.2 logMAR in past 6 months) Age 14 years or older, with diagnosis of macular disease Normal cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) Ability to provide informed consent and complete study visits No major hearing loss Fluent in English
Who cannot join
- Unstable ocular disease (e.g., ongoing treatments and/or injections) Peripheral vision loss of less than 40 degrees Conditions affecting oculomotor control independent of CVL
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Cecilia Idman-Rait, MPH contact
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
New England College of Optometry
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
Nicole C Ross, OD, MSc., 617-587-5626, rossn@neco.edu
Cecilia Idman-Rait, MPH, idmanraitc@neco.edu
About this study
Central vision loss from macular degeneration creates blind spots that impair reading, face recognition, and navigation. Individuals must learn to use peripheral vision, requiring retraining of eye movements. Our preliminary research using high-speed eye tracking demonstrated that people with larger scotomas have impaired eye movement control, and that single-session visual feedback training showed limited immediate benefit, though combining feedback types showed promise.
This study will evaluate whether extended binocular training (5 weekly sessions) with multimodal feedback improves eye movement control in 8-15 participants with bilateral central vision loss. Unlike conventional monocular rehabilitation systems, our approach trains both eyes simultaneously using real-time visual and auditory feedback during saccadic and smooth pursuit tasks. Participants will receive gaze-contingent scotoma awareness feedback, preferred retinal locus feedback, and auditory cues while performing eye tracking exercises.
Primary outcomes include saccadic accuracy (latency, landing error, amplitude) and smooth pursuit parameters (gain, tracking accuracy). Secondary outcomes include contrast sensitivity and self-reported visual function. Success could establish an evidence base for accessible home-based training using virtual reality technology, potentially benefiting millions with macular degeneration.
- Conditions
- Low Vision, Central Visual Impairment, Macular Degeneration
- Being tested
- eccentric viewing training with biofeedback
- Medical subject headings
- Vision, Low, Blindness, Cortical, Macular Degeneration
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
eccentric viewing training with biofeedbackBehavioural
Participants will complete 5 weekly training sessions (approximately 60 minutes each) performing eye movement exercises while receiving real-time multimodal feedback. Training includes:
Saccadic Training: Visually-guided saccades to targets appearing at randomized locations with instructions to use peripheral (inferior) retinal locus. Targets shift horizontally, vertically, and obliquely to train all saccadic directions.
Smooth Pursuit Training: Circular pursuit of moving targets at 2.6°/s in randomized directions with instructions to maintain peripheral gaze above the target.
Feedback Modalities (systematically varied across sessions):Scotoma Awareness: Gaze-contingent black circle overlay representing participant's blind spot; Preferred Retinal Locus (PRL) Feedback: Dynamic gaze-contingent ring showing real-time fixation location; Auditory Feedback: Tone modulation indicating fixation stability, PRL accuracy, and target acquisition success; Combined multimodal feedback
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback Training | Experimental | All participants will receive binocular oculomotor training with multimodal feedback. Participants will complete 5 weekly training sessions (approximately 60 minutes each) performing saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movement exercises. Training incorporates three types of feedback presented systematically across sessions: (1) scotoma awareness feedback via gaze-contingent black circle overlay representing the blind spot, (2) preferred retinal locus (PRL) feedback via dynamic gaze-contingent ring showing real-time fixation location, and (3) auditory feedback with tone modulation indicating fixation stability, PRL accuracy, and target acquisition. Eye movements are recorded using binocular eye tracking at 2000Hz. Contrast sensitivity is assessed intermittently during training using adaptive Gabor presentations. Outcomes are measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-training (Week 6). Receives: Behavioral: eccentric viewing training with biofeedback |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Saccadic Accuracy (Landing Error)
Mean distance in degrees between saccade landing position and target location, measured using binocular eye tracking during visually-guided saccade tasks. Lower values indicate better accuracy.
Measured: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Secondary outcomes (6)
Change in Saccadic Latency
Time in milliseconds from target appearance to saccade initiation, measured using binocular eye tracking. Faster latencies indicate improved oculomotor response.
Measured: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Smooth Pursuit Gain
Ratio of eye velocity to target velocity during smooth pursuit tasks (optimal gain = 1.0). Higher gain values indicate better pursuit tracking accuracy.
Measured: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Number of Catch-up Saccades During Pursuit
Mean number of corrective saccades per trial during smooth pursuit tasks. Fewer catch-up saccades indicate smoother, more accurate pursuit performance.
Measured: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Contrast Sensitivity Function
Area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) measured using adaptive Gabor presentations during eye movement tasks. Higher values indicate better contrast sensitivity.
Measured: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)
Change in Fixation Stability
Area of the bivariate contour ellipse at 95% confidence interval of fixation positions during stationary target fixation tasks, measured in square degrees. Smaller ellipse area indicates more stable fixation.
Measured: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)
Change in Vision Related Quality of Life
Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)
Measured: At First study visit - Baseline, at last training session - week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 May 2026
- Study start31 Jan 2026
- Primary completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Low VisionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- The study explores a rehabilative approach for individuals with central vision loss.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New England College of Optometry
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- H. Eric Cushing Foundation, Northeastern University, Department of Psychology
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07577219
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Saccades 2.0
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 11 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Vision Rehabilitation Training With Multimodal Feedback in Central Vision Loss
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07577219
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Saccades 2.0
- Conditions
- Low Vision, Central Visual Impairment, Macular Degeneration
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- New England College of OptometryUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- H. Eric Cushing Foundation, Northeastern University, Department of Psychology
- Study start
- 31 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 May 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Central vision loss from macular degeneration creates blind spots that impair reading, face recognition, and navigation. Individuals must learn to use peripheral vision, requiring retraining of eye movements. Our preliminary research using high-speed eye tracking demonstrated that people with larger scotomas have impaired eye movement control, and that single-session visual feedback training showed limited immediate benefit, though combining feedback types showed promise.
This study will evaluate whether extended binocular training (5 weekly sessions) with multimodal feedback improves eye movement control in 8-15 participants with bilateral central vision loss. Unlike conventional monocular rehabilitation systems, our approach trains both eyes simultaneously using real-time visual and auditory feedback during saccadic and smooth pursuit tasks. Participants will receive gaze-contingent scotoma awareness feedback, preferred retinal locus feedback, and auditory cues while performing eye tracking exercises.
Primary outcomes include saccadic accuracy (latency, landing error, amplitude) and smooth pursuit parameters (gain, tracking accuracy). Secondary outcomes include contrast sensitivity and self-reported visual function. Success could establish an evidence base for accessible home-based training using virtual reality technology, potentially benefiting millions with macular degeneration.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- The study explores a rehabilative approach for individuals with central vision loss.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback Training | Experimental | Behavioral: eccentric viewing training with biofeedbackAll participants will receive binocular oculomotor training with multimodal feedback. Participants will complete 5 weekly training sessions (approximately 60 minutes each) performing saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movement exercises. Training incorporates three types of feedback presented systematically across sessions: (1) scotoma awareness feedback via gaze-contingent black circle overlay representing the blind spot, (2) preferred retinal locus (PRL) feedback via dynamic gaze-contingent ring showing real-time fixation location, and (3) auditory feedback with tone modulation indicating fixation stability, PRL accuracy, and target acquisition. Eye movements are recorded using binocular eye tracking at 2000Hz. Contrast sensitivity is assessed intermittently during training using adaptive Gabor presentations. Outcomes are measured at baseline (Week 0) and post-training (Week 6). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Bilateral central scotomas confirmed via computerized tangent screen Visual acuity between 20/60 and 20/200 (0.5 - 1.00 logMAR) in either eye Stable central vision loss (no change in visual acuity >0.2 logMAR in past 6 months) Age 14 years or older, with diagnosis of macular disease Normal cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) Ability to provide informed consent and complete study visits No major hearing loss Fluent in English
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Unstable ocular disease (e.g., ongoing treatments and/or injections) Peripheral vision loss of less than 40 degrees Conditions affecting oculomotor control independent of CVL
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| eccentric viewing training with biofeedbackParticipants will complete 5 weekly training sessions (approximately 60 minutes each) performing eye movement exercises while receiving real-time multimodal feedback. Training includes: Saccadic Training: Visually-guided saccades to targets appearing at randomized locations with instructions to use peripheral (inferior) retinal locus. Targets shift horizontally, vertically, and obliquely to train all saccadic directions. Smooth Pursuit Training: Circular pursuit of moving targets at 2.6°/s in randomized directions with instructions to maintain peripheral gaze above the target. Feedback Modalities (systematically varied across sessions):Scotoma Awareness: Gaze-contingent black circle overlay representing participant's blind spot; Preferred Retinal Locus (PRL) Feedback: Dynamic gaze-contingent ring showing real-time fixation location; Auditory Feedback: Tone modulation indicating fixation stability, PRL accuracy, and target acquisition success; Combined multimodal feedback | Behavioural | Feedback Training |
Primary outcome
Change in Saccadic Accuracy (Landing Error)
Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Mean distance in degrees between saccade landing position and target location, measured using binocular eye tracking during visually-guided saccade tasks. Lower values indicate better accuracy.
6 secondary outcomes
Change in Saccadic Latency
Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Smooth Pursuit Gain
Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Number of Catch-up Saccades During Pursuit
Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Change in Contrast Sensitivity Function
Time frame: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)
Change in Fixation Stability
Time frame: Baseline, Post-training (Week 6)
Change in Vision Related Quality of Life
Time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, at last training session - week 5, and post training (week 11 )
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 May 2026.
- Lab wesbiteLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
Related trials for Low Vision
Active, not recruiting
Improving Visual Field Deficits With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation
Visual Field Defect, Peripheral, Stroke
RecruitingPhase 4
Ocular Assessments in Patients Treated With Tivdak® in Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Recruiting
Brain Stimulation Effects on Orientation and Mobility Skills in Adults With Vision Impairment
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), Rod Cone Dystrophy
Not yet recruiting
NEURO-COGS: Neurometabolic Mechanisms of Cognitive Training in Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
RecruitingPhase 3
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Tabirafusp Tedromer Compared to Aflibercept in Participants With DME - ALTO
Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Cecilia Idman-Rait, MPH contact
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing eccentric viewing training with biofeedback in people with Low Vision and Central Visual Impairment, run by New England College of Optometry at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Nicole C Ross, OD (6175875626, rossn@neco.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Saccadic Accuracy (Landing Error) (time frame: At First study visit - Baseline, At each training visit (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, and post training (week 11 )). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 May 2026.