Challenges and Perspectives of Novel Methods for Light Stimulation in Visual Rehabilitation

Neurodegenerative diseases of the retina such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy remain the leading causes of reduced vision and blindness throughout the world. Visual rehabilitation of patients with poor vision due to neurodegenerative diseases of the retina requires problems associated with disruption of neural network structure and deficits in the visual functions provided by these networks to be solved. Despite some advances achieved using innovative therapeutic methods, the development of new approaches to visual rehabilitation to improve the quality of life of visually impaired patients is of value. In visual rehabilitation, both medications and a variety of non-pharmacological treatment strategies are widely used to protect and restore the structure of the retina and its function. Among these, techniques using visual stimulation therapy (phototherapy) occupy a separate niche; this review addresses the main aspects of phototherapy. The vector of new research in the field of phototherapy is aimed at developing methods able to maximize the plasticity of the visual system to increase the effectiveness of its protection and restoration in neurodegenerative pathology. In this regard, new technologies of fractal phototherapy have great potential in visual rehabilitation.