Clinical Research.

Three controlled studies by optometrists have examined syntonic phototherapy’s impact on children’s learning and vision.

In 1983 Robert Michael Kaplan published: “Changes in Form Visual Fields in Reading Disabled Children Produced by Syntonic Stimulation.” He applied syntonic phototherapy in a university optometry clinic for the treatment of learning disabled children. (Kaplan R.M., International Journal of Biosocial Research 1983; 5(1):20-33.)

Three years later, Jacob Liberman published “The Effects of Syntonic Colored Light Stimulation in Certain Visual and Cognitive Functions.” He measured changes in children’s vision and cognition due to syntonic phototherapy in an optometry office setting. (Liberman, J., Journal of Optometric Vision Development 1986; 17[June]).

Steven Ingersol in 1998-1999 investigated “Syntonics as Reading Enhancement Techniques at the Livingston Developmental Academy“. This study investigated syntonic effects when integrated into an elementary school curriculum and used in conjunction with vision therapy. (Ingersoll S., (presented at 66th Annual Conference Light and Vision, Vancouver, Canada, 1998). Journal of Optometric Phototherapy [1999].)

These studies provide evidence that relatively short-term syntonic treatment can significantly improve visual skills, peripheral vision, memory, behavior, mood, general performance and academic achievement. They also confirm that children with learning problems have a reduction in the sensitivity of their peripheral vision. During and after phototherapy they demonstrated improvement of peripheral vision and visual skills.

All three studies found profound improvements in the children who used syntonic phototherapy compared with subjects matched for age and academic success who did not. The non syntonics students either looked at white light (Kaplan), had optometric vision therapy (Liberman) or had optometric vision therapy and academic tutoring (Ingersol). The control students showed no or significantly less improvement in their peripheral vision, symptoms or performance than the phototherapy treated children. Ingersol found the experimental group receiving academic tutoring, vision therapy and syntonics had significantly superior outcomes than students given tutoring and vision therapy but no syntonics.