Feature Channels: Vision

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Retinal vascular tortuosity, a microvascular abnormality of the eye, may provide doctors with a noninvasive way of determining the extent of vascular remodeling in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension,

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They’ve never seen animals like hippos and sharks but adults born blind have rich insight into what they look like, a new Johns Hopkins University study found.

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The Catalyst for a Cure Vision Restoration Initiative builds on 16 years of seminal scientific research, with an aim to cure glaucoma and restore vision.

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El fármaco eculizumab, un anticuerpo sintético que inhibe la respuesta inflamatoria, redujo considerablemente el riesgo de recaída en el trastorno del espectro de la neuromielitis óptica (NMOSD, por sus siglas en inglés). Este raro y grave trastorno inflamatorio autoinmunitario puede provocar ceguera, parálisis y muerte.

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Participants in a phase I/II clinical trial of a new enzyme-based treatment for severe dry eye disease experienced reduced signs of disease and discomfort, according to a paper in Translational Vision Science and Technology.The trial compared eye drops containing a biosynthetic form of an enzyme called DNase with eye drops without the enzyme.

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Wills Eye Hospital Physicians are once again named to Philadelphia Magazine’s Annual “Top Docs” list from a vote by their peers throughout the region. The full medical list includes more than 2600 physicians and spans 66 different subspecialties. The names are chosen from Castle Connolly’s online physician poll.

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More Americans are being diagnosed with eye complications of shingles, but older adults can call the shots on whether they develop the painful rash that can cost them their eyesight.

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New computer program uses artificial intelligence to determine what visual neurons like to see. Algorithm generates synthetic images that morph into “super stimulus” for neurons, removing inherent bias of using natural images to gauge preferences. The approach could shed light on learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and other neurologic conditions.

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Mass. Eye and Ear is pleased to welcome David S. Friedman, MD, MPH, PhD, as Director of the Glaucoma Service, Co-Director of the Ophthalmology Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Medical Director of Clinical Research at Mass. Eye and Ear, and a member of the full-time faculty of the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Friedman will be the first incumbent of the Albert and Diane Kaneb Chair in Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear.

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Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) announces the 30th anniversary of one of its flagship grant programs: the RPB Career Development Award (CDA).

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Research from the University of Washington uses functional MRI to identify two differences in the brains of blind individuals -- differences that might be responsible for their abilities to make better use of auditory information.

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A research team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear has shown that microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system—including the retina —serve as “gatekeepers” of neuroinflammation. Uveitis is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. In the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers describe for the first time a role for microglia in directing the initiation of autoimmune uveitis by orchestrating the inflammatory response within the retina.

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FINDINGS UCLA researchers found that eliminating routine but unnecessary procedures before people undergo cataract surgery has the potential to save costs and resources for hospitals serving lower-income patients. Forgoing routine chest x-rays, electrocardiograms and other preoperative procedures — which studies have found to have no clinical benefit prior to cataract surgery — was associated with a savings of $67,241 over three years at one of the medical centers analyzed in the study.

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The NASA Twins Study is the most comprehensive integrated multi-omics, molecular, physiological, and behavioral analysis of how the human body responds to space flight to date. Study results were published in the April edition of Science.

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More than 400 eye physicians and surgeons from across the U.S. are in Washington, D.C., today to urge Congress to end federal policies that delay patients’ access to quality medical and surgical eye care.

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In studies with lab-grown human cells and in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that an experimental drug may be twice as good at fighting vision loss as previously thought.

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Development of a virtual reality-like projection system to study insect vision could eventually provide the U.S. Air Force with a new type of navigation system.

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High-resolution images capture previously unseen features of PDE6. Included among them were some very promising regions that resemble fish-hooks. These regions are responsible for controlling PDE activity. By targeting the fish-hook-like region with a new class of PDE inhibitors, drug development companies may be able to eliminate unwanted side effects of certain PDE targeting drugs.

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A national study has found that older patients with vision loss who are hospitalized for common disorders are often not identified as requiring special attention, which can affect outcomes, resource use and costs. The study is published in the April 4, issue of JAMA Ophthalmology, authored by Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild.

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Researchers from Queen’s University have discovered a new way of treating major diseases of the eye caused by the abnormal growth of new blood vessels.

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More than 125 million people worldwide wear contact lenses, and while many are exposed to relatively common bacteria through their contact lenses, not all contract an eye infection. Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center will study whether a contact-wearer’s genetics may play a role in who does or doesn’t contract infection—especially Microbial keratitis (MK), a bacteria-caused infection of the cornea, which, if left untreated, can cause blindness.

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The eyes may be the window to the soul, but to scientists, they are also the window to the brain. In particular, the retina, a delicate light-sensing neural network with specialized cells at the back of the eyeball, is linked directly to the brain via the optic nerve and is considered by some to be part of the brain itself. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are developing imaging techniques that will allow them to study minute changes in the retina that indicate the early stages of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) today announced the launch of a new fellowship for early-career researchers. The Mallinckrodt Uveitis Research Fellowship, generously funded by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, will support early career investigators with a one-year grant of $45,000 in their endeavor to investigate the impetus of uveitis or other inflammatory conditions in innovative ways.

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Scientists discovered a light-dependent molecular pathway that regulates how blood vessels develop in the eye. The findings in Nature Cell Biology suggest it may be possible to use light therapy to help premature infants whose eyes are still developing avoid vision problems. The novel molecular process helps ensure blood-vessel development in the eye is appropriately balanced to prepare it for visual function.

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Corneal injuries are a common cause of visual impairment worldwide, with more than 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness reported every year. With the goal of addressing this unmet clinical need, researchers set out to develop an adhesive designed for long-term integration with the cornea. The new technology, named GelCORE (gel for corneal regeneration), could one day reduce the need for surgery to repair injuries to the cornea, including those that would today require corneal transplantation.

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A synaesthesia-like effect in which people 'hear' silent flashes or movement, such as in popular 'noisy GIFs' and memes, could be due to a reduction of inhibition of signals that travel between visual and auditory areas of the brain, according to a new study led by researchers at City, University of London.

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The National Library of Medicine has accepted Ophthalmology® Retina for inclusion in Medline/PubMed, the first time it has accepted a printed, monthly U.S. ophthalmology journal in 12 years.

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A $5.7 billion global medical bill to restore sight for the estimated 45 million people with cataracts could be slashed in half by a diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables, according to an international study.

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Eating a calcium-rich diet or taking calcium supplements does not appear to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the findings of a study by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness among people age 65 and older in the United States. The study findings are published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

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Cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) form unique patterns that can be used to track changes in this important layer of tissue in the back of the eye, researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have found. Using a combination of adaptive optics imaging and a fluorescent dye, the researchers used the RPE patterns to track individual cells in healthy volunteers and people with retinal disease. The new finding could provide a way to study the progression and treatment of blinding diseases that affect the RPE.

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As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, diagnosing disease faster and potentially with greater accuracy than physicians, some have suggested that technology may soon replace tasks that physicians currently perform.

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The announcement during World Glaucoma Week emphasizes the need to find a cure for this disease that affects more than 60 million people worldwide.

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Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have created a hydrogel that could one day be made into a contact lens to more effectively treat corneal melting, a condition that is a significant cause for blindness world-wide.

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Lighthouse Guild has announced that Tiffany Schmidt, PhD, is the recipient of the 2019 Pisart Award for her significant contributions to the field of vision science.

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A recent study found that the average office worker spends 1,700 hours per year in front of a computer screen. And that doesn’t include our addiction to phones and other digital devices. All this screen time has led to an increase in complaints of eye strain, dry eye, headaches and insomnia.

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A study of more than 200 people at the Duke Eye Center suggests the loss of blood vessels in the retina could signal Alzheimer’s disease.

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Researchers from the Duke Eye Center have shown that a new, non-invasive imaging device can see signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a matter of seconds.

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Lighthouse Guild announced that Dr. Vladimir Kefalov has been awarded the 2019 Bressler Prize for his outstanding advances in vision science research. Dr. Kefalov is one of the leading retinal scientists in the world.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Optometry are joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to offer spring break safety tips so travelers spend their time on the beach, not in the emergency room

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Study shows that acetate, an acid found in some foods, may help doctors intervene when seizures are imminent.

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A small pilot clinical study at the National Eye Institute (NEI) suggests that the drug nitisinone increases melanin production in some people with oculocutaneous albinism type 1B (OCA-1B), a rare genetic disease that causes pale skin and hair and poor vision. Increased melanin could help protect people with the condition against the sun’s UV rays and promote the development of normal vision.

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Physicists at McMaster University have for the first time identified a simple mechanism used by potentially deadly bacteria to fend off antibiotics, a discovery which is providing new insights into how germs adapt and behave at a level of detail never seen before.

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Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day can damage your vision, a study co-authored by a Rutgers researcher finds.

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For her research project seeking a new treatment to restore vision in glaucoma patients, Adriana Di Polo, PhD, professor of neuroscience at the University of Montreal, was awarded the 2019 Shaffer Prize for Innovative Glaucoma Research. The 2019 Shaffer Prize was presented on January 31st during ceremonies at the Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

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Newly approved gene therapy is offering a hopeful outlook to some patients with inherited eye disease including a 7-year-old who received treatment at Michigan Medicine.

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For people with inherited eye disease, genetic findings can often guide patients toward applicable clinical trials. or sight-preserving gene therapy.

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During Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, learn the risk factors for the No. 1 cause of blindness among people over age 50.