Prozac Could Treat "Lazy Eye"

The antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) could be used to treat "lazy eye", according to a new study.

The Italian and Finnish team found that the medication corrected the vision of rats which had been impaired during their early development.

The drug appears to work by returning neurons in the adult brain to a more "plastic" state like what is normally seen in youth. This allows the visual perception system to develop proper connections between the eye and the brain.

Jose Fernando Maya Vetencourt from Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and colleagues intend to conduct human studies in the future, although there are no immediate plans.

Amblyopia, which is commonly known as "lazy eye," is the most frequent cause of visual impairment in childhood, affecting 2-3% of children, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute.

If not successfully treated, it can persist into adulthood. Treatment involves forcing the child use the weaker eye, either by using an eye patch or by putting drops in the stronger eye to temporarily blur the vision.

There is no proven treatment for adults.

The article appears in the journal Science.