Top Stories 5-11-2016
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Ever search desperately for something, then realize you're looking straight at it the whole time? Research indicates that vision is controlled by the part of the brain associated with thinking. And in sight, too, it can be absent minded.
Daniel Deligio, O.D., treats a rare disease and provides successful treatment plan for Sam Peppers.
Early structural changes in the back of the eye — now visible with a newly developed eye scan — may indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
A medicated silicone ring that rests on the surface of the eye and slowly releases medication reduced eye pressure in glaucoma patients by about 20 percent over six months. These multi-center randomized clinical trial results are the first published research on this type of continuous glaucoma drug delivery technology, which could benefit the nearly 3 million people in the United States with glaucoma. Published in Ophthalmology, journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Building on existing evidence, vision researchers have found that limiting exposure to blue light after sunset increases the quality and length of sleep. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
Pterostilbene (PS), a component of blueberries, have been found to protect against dry eye disease according to a new study. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
A new study has shown that Ebola survivors may be at risk of severe vision loss or blindness weeks after being declared virus-free. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
Researchers have safely transplanted stem cells derived from a patient’s skin to the back of the eye in an effort to restore vision. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
Scientists have successfully implanted a prosthesis that restores some central vision in patients with only limited peripheral vision remaining to them – the first time artificial and natural vision has ever been integrated in humans. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
Sjogren's syndrome affects an estimated four million people in the U.S., but diagnosis is often delayed because its symptoms are similar to other conditions. A new study in the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology describes a protein with the potential to be an earlier and more precise indicator of the disease.
According to new research, injection of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) offers similar protection as a low calorie diet against nerve degeneration in rats with glaucoma. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.
In a study of nearly 650 people with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with anti-VEGF drugs that are injected into the eye. The authors of the study, funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health, say those outcomes would have been unimaginable about 10 years ago, prior to the drugs' availability.
Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of major vision loss in older people, still show benefits from a new class of therapy -- originally developed to treat cancer -- after long-term treatment.
RPB President Brian F. Hofland will present an overview of investigations conducted by leaders in the fields of retinal imaging, early disease detection, and photoreceptor regeneration and transplantation. The RPB featured scientists will be present for Q&A.
The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of NIH, is participating in the Inaugural Press Conference from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting (ARVO 2016).
Pioneering gene therapy has restored some vision to patients with a rare form of genetic blindness for as long as four years, raising hopes it could be used to cure common causes of vision loss, new University of Oxford research published today shows.
The Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest gathering of eye and vision researchers in the world, with over 11,000 attendees from more than 75 countries. Two free events will feature speakers highlighting recent successes — and emerging threats — facing ophthalmic clinicians and researchers around the world.
This ARVO Meeting showcases cutting-edge eye and vision science and an early glimpse into the latest advances in potential treatments for eye disease and blindness — often years ahead of their introduction to the clinic.
World-leading researchers from Queen’s University Belfast are among a team of scientists from the USA and Ireland who are collaborating to develop a novel treatment for diabetes-related blindness.
Feature story with patient perspective emphasizes the importance of having a comprehensive dilated eye exam, which is the best way to find out for sure if eyes are healthy.
Magnifying Smartphone Screen Apps For Visually Impaired, Online Anti-Bullying Programs, A One Atom Engine and more in the Technology News Source
Adam Gordon, O.D., discusses blue light, including the lack of clinical evidence in advertisements overstating dangers, as well as the effects of blue light on sleep and eye discomfort.
Children with vision problems not correctable with glasses or contact lenses may be twice as likely to have a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggests a study in the May issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have developed a smartphone application that projects a magnified smartphone screen to Google Glass, which users can navigate using head movements to view a corresponding portion of the magnified screen. They have shown that the technology can potentially benefit low-vision users, many of whom find the smartphone’s built-in zoom feature to be difficult to use due to the loss of context.
A team of researchers who specialize in treating cancers of the eye wanted to identified EZH2 as a marker for aggressive basal cell skin cancer. It may also provide a potential target for treatment.
Today's imaging technologies allow highly sensitive cameras to detect even the faintest glimmers of light. Unfortunately, however, highly sensitive pieces of optical equipment are also highly susceptible to damage. Intense light beams overwhelm devices designed to detect single photons.
As medical professionals search for new ways to personalize diagnosis and treatment of disease, RPB-supported researchers at the University of Iowa have already put into practice what may be the next big step in precision medicine: personalized proteomics.
Combining the best features of a lobster and an African fish, University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have created an artificial eye that can see in the dark. And their fishy false eyes could help search-and-rescue robots or surgical scopes make dim surroundings seem bright as day.
Researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) have demonstrated that targeting survivin – a protein that inhibits apoptosis or cell death – enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cells and mouse models of retinoblastoma (Rb).
The swirling skies of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night illustrate a mystery that has eluded biologists for more than a century—why do we perceive the color blue in the dimly lit night sky? A newly discovered mechanism of color vision in mice might help answer this question, Caltech researchers say. - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/news/midnight-blue-new-system-color-vision-50480#sthash.LZOgpxTk.dpuf
A common antihistamine used to treat symptoms of allergies and the common cold, called clemastine fumarate, partially reversed damage to the visual system in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.
David E. Cobrinik, MD, PhD, of The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has been awarded a four-year grant totaling $1.665 million from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will support his study seeking to improve understanding of how cone photoreceptors develop.
Researchers at Basel University Hospital in Switzerland investigate the biochemical and physiological characteristics of orbicularis oculi, a group of facial muscles that control the eyelids and are selectively spared or involved in different neuromuscular disorders. What they found also helps to explain why another set of muscles—the extraocular muscles that control the movement of the eye—are not affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophy, and aging.
Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have identified inflammatory factors that contribute to optic nerve damage following keratoprosthesis (KPro) implantation in a mouse model. They have also shown that blocking one of the factors, TNFa, leads to a significant decrease in optic nerve cell death, suggesting a new direction for preventing optic nerve damage in patients with keratoprosthesis implants.
Eduardo C. Solessio, Ph.D., has been awarded $1,821,375 from the National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute for a five-year study to establish how the time course of rod responses contribute to visual temporal contrast sensitivity in dim light. Deficits in detecting small differences in contrast interfere with the ability to perform everyday visual tasks such as reading, driving, or face recognition.
Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Schepens Eye Research Institute have shown an association between a defective myogenic response — the regulatory increase or decrease in blood pressure to keep blood flow within the vessels of the retina constant — and early, accelerated development of retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes. These findings, published online today in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, identify one mechanism to explain why some patients develop diabetic retinopathy sooner than others. Furthermore, the findings provide a target for future study, which may lead to therapies to delay or prevent the development of accelerated onset diabetic retinopathy.
Imagine contact lenses that can deliver medicines directly to the eye, slow progression of nearsightedness in children, or monitor glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Those are some of the emerging advances in contact lens technology reported in the April special issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Ever see something that isn't really there? Could your mind be playing tricks on you? The "tricks" might be your brain reacting to feedback between neurons in different parts of the visual system, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience by Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Sandra J. Kuhlman and colleagues.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear has awarded five research grants through the Curing Kids Fund to support projects aimed at advancing treatments for pediatric diseases related to the institution’s areas of expertise.
Researchers at Georgia State University and the University of Chicago have found that congenitally blind adults use gestures -- important markers in language development in children -- similar to those by sighted adults, even though they've never seen the gestures before.
Diets rich in vitamin C cut the risk of cataract progression in women by 33 percent over 10 years, according to a twins study in the journal Ophthalmology. Genetics accounted for 35 percent of the difference in cataract progression. Environmental factors, such as diet, accounted for 65 percent.
A Wayne State University startup company announced today the first successful dosing of a patient in a clinical trial that is a major step forward for patients with vision challenges.
A new study provides the first experimental evidence that the Apple iPad is as good as technology traditionally used in reading rehabilitation for individuals with visual impairment.
Stage magicians are not the only ones who can distract the eye: a new cognitive psychology experiment demonstrates how all human beings have a built-in ability to stop paying attention to objects that are right in front of them.
Stem cells may have the potential to protect the optic nerve from further damage and slow the progression of vision loss due to glaucoma. Stem cells may also have the potential to replace ocular tissues that have degenerated in eyes with glaucoma.
Making the most of the low light in the muddy rivers where it swims, the elephant nose fish survives by being able to spot predators amongst the muck with a uniquely shaped retina, the part of the eye that captures light. In a new study, researchers looked to the fish’s retinal structure to inform the design of a contact lens that can adjust its focus.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation honored Charlot and Dennis Singleton (Atherton, CA), James B. Wise, MD, and Masashi Oka (Executive Chairman emeritus for MUFG Union Bank), at the Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala on January 28, 2016 at San Francisco’s historic Palace Hotel.
Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute, with colleagues in China, have developed a new, regenerative medicine approach to remove congenital cataracts in infants, permitting remaining stem cells to regrow functional lenses.