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Eye exercises may help children with a wandering eye, a trial puts it to the test

NCT ID NCT04487249

Disease control Sponsor: Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 03, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot trial tests whether 20 weeks of vision therapy, including office sessions and home exercises, can improve eye alignment control in children aged 8 to 16 with intermittent exotropia, a condition where one eye sometimes drifts outward. Researchers compare vision therapy to simple observation to see if the therapy reduces the frequency of the eye drifting. The results will help decide whether to run a larger, longer study.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Vision therapy (orthoptics), a program of office-based and home exercises to improve eye coordination and control
What this could lead to
If vision therapy improves eye control, it could offer a non-surgical option for children with intermittent exotropia and support a larger long-term trial.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study, so results may not be conclusive. Vision therapy requires time and effort, and not all children may respond.

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

47 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2021

Finished

Apr 2026

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

8 to 16 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show 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.

Major Inclusion Criteria- * Age 8 - 16 years * Intermittent exotropia meeting all of the following: * Distance exodeviation of 15∆ to 35∆ by prism alternating cover test (PACT) * IXT, exophoria, or orthophoria at near * Near exodeviation that does not exceed the distance exodeviation by more than 10∆ * Mean distance control score of 2 points or more with at least one measure being 3 points or higher * Mean near control score less than 5 points * Random dot stereopsis of 200" or better on Preschool Randot Stereotest * Willingness to accept randomization and no plan to relocate in the next 6 months Major Exclusion Criteria- * Treatment for IXT or amblyopia (other than refractive correction) within 3 months prior to enrollment * Office-based vision therapy for IXT within 6 months prior to enrollment * Prior office-based vision therapy for IXT of ≥10 sessions * Prior strabismus, intraocular, or refractive surgery (including BOTOX injection)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

alternating exotropia intermittent squint

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Intermittent exotropia

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Ohio State University

    Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

  • Salus University

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19141, United States

  • Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University

    Fullerton, California, 92831, United States

  • Southern College of Optometry

    Memphis, Tennessee, 38104, United States

  • Stanford University

    Stanford, California, 94305, United States

  • University of Alabama in Birmingham

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States

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