The Perceptual Experience of Argus II Users

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Retinitis Pigmentosa

In brief

This Basic Experimental Studies Involving Humans (BESH) study investigates phosphene perception and performance factors in blind participants implanted with the Argus II retinal prosthesis system. Using paired-electrode stimulation, we analyze how phosphene shape and number are influenced by neuroanatomical factors, stimulus parameters, and spatial offsets. Additionally, we examine the causes of high current thresholds and limited spatial resolution, which impede pattern vision in Argus II devices. This research aims to provide insights for optimizing stimulation strategies and improving retinal prosthesis design.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05285618

Run by

University of California, Santa Barbara

People needed

6

Starts

2022-01-11

Expected to finish

2023-08-31

Last updated by the study team

2025-01-01

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Subject must be at least 25 years of age;
• Subject has been implanted with the Argus II system;
• Subject's eye has healed from surgery and the surgeon has cleared the subject for programming;
• Subject has the cognitive and communication ability to participate in the study (i.e., follow spoken directions, perform tests, and give feedback);
• Subject is willing to conduct psychophysics testing up to 4-6 hours per day of testing on 3-5 consecutive days;
• Subject is capable of understanding patient information materials and giving written informed consent;
• Subject is able to walk unassisted.

You may not qualify if…

• Subject is unwilling or unable to travel to testing facility for at least 3 days of testing within a one-week timeframe;
• Sighted controls: Subject has a history of motion sickness or flicker vertigo
• Subject does not speak English;
• Subject has language or hearing impairment

Where it is running

• University of California, Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, California, United States
• Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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