VR headsets tested as a possible treatment for blindness
NCT ID NCT07071129
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether using a virtual reality headset for one-hour sessions could help regenerate damaged optic nerves and improve vision in people with glaucoma or other retinal diseases. The idea came from promising results in rodents. However, the trial was terminated early and only enrolled 22 participants, so we don't yet know if this approach works in humans.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality visual stimulation (device)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive way to partially restore vision in people with glaucoma or retinal damage.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early study that was terminated, so results are limited. The approach is still experimental and may not work in humans as it did in rodents.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
22 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Apr 2018
- Finished
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Sep 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
12 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: For subjects with glaucoma, other retinal diseases, or disorders of the visual system: * 1\. Patient age \> 12 years * 2\. Compliance with investigator instructions, tests and visit during subject participation in the study. * 3\. Sufficient fixation ability * 4.Best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or better in at least one eye, or capable to see the visual stimulus at least in one eye. For healthy volunteers: * 1\. Patient age \> 12 years * 2\. Compliance with investigator instructions, tests and visit during subject participation in the study. * 3.Best corrected visual acuity of 20/20 in both eyes. * 4\. Sufficient fixation ability Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Electric or electronic implants (such as cardiac pacemaker) * 2\. Any metal artifacts in the head or truncus area (with the exception of dental implants) * 3\. Epilepsy and photo-sensibility; acute auto-immune diseases * 4\. Acute conjunctivitis * 5\. Pathological nystagmus
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, 94303, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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