Feature Channels: Vision

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In the past decade, ophthalmologists have been prescribing nutritional supplements to be taken daily to prevent or slow vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Now, using nutritional supplements for eye health has become more common. But does increasing the recommended dose increase your protection? A case report appearing online in JAMA Ophthalmology from the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah reveals what can happen when a patient takes more of a supplement than their body needs.

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A study sheds new understanding on the mechanisms of the diabetic retinopathy - which is the most prominent complication of diabetes and the leading cause of blindness in working age individuals - as it uncovered a program of accelerated aging of the neurons, blood vessels and immune cells of the retina in areas where blood vessels had been damaged.

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What causes vision loss in glaucoma? There are two common answers that at first may seem disparate: the first is pressure, as in elevated ocular pressure, and the second is damage to the optic nerve, which is the structure that sends visual information to the brain. Both answers are correct.

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Roshni Vasaiwala, MD, an ophthalmologist who specializes in the care and management of difficult corneal diseases, has joined Loyola Medicine.

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Visual hallucinations ... everyone has heard of them, and many people have experienced the sensation of "seeing" something that isn't there. But studying the phenomenon of hallucinations is difficult: they are irregular, transitory, and highly personal--only the person experiencing the hallucination knows what he or she is seeing, and representations of what's being seen are limited to verbal descriptions or drawings.

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People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing serious eye diseases, yet most do not have sight-saving annual eye exams, according to a large study presented this week at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This is especially timely as the Academy is reiterating the importance of eye exams during the month of November, which is observed as Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month.

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To provide a better view of difficult to see tissue, Japanese researchers have miniaturized an imaging probe to fit inside a needle that can be inserted into the eye during eye surgery. The probe was used without complications in three human patients, as described in an article published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS).

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An innovative procedure may improve outcomes in people with a degenerative eye disease, suggest five-year results from a study presented at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Transplantation of one layer of the cornea may help people with keratoconus avoid or delay full corneal transplantation and other potentially risky procedures, according to the researchers. They say the technique may enable those with advanced keratoconus to tolerate extended contact lenses wear, which is traditionally a challenge for people with the condition.

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Researchers are testing cutting-edge treatments for people who want to see up close without reading glasses and finding promising results, according to studies presented this week at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. A new method that uses lasers to reshape a small part of the cornea, and a separate technique using painless electrostimulation, may be effective in treating presbyopia, the blurry near vision people develop around age 40.

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People who are unsuitable for LASIK because of moderate or extreme nearsightedness or severe astigmatism may benefit from a surgical procedure using intraocular lenses. Phakic intraocular collamer lenses, also called Phakic IOLs or ICLs, have been found safe and effective after five years, according to research presented today at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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A unique wearable artificial vision device may help people who are legally blind “read” and recognize faces. It may also help these individuals accomplish everyday tasks with significantly greater ease than using traditional assistive reading devices, suggests a study presented today at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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Whether you see the gossamer wings of a butterfly or the delicate opened petals of a flower, there is beauty in the eye of the beholder — a mouse retina described and visually captured by scientists at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research (NCMIR) at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health.

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People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet – especially by eating fruit – may be more than a third less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, according to a study presented today at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The study is the first to identify that caffeine may be especially protective against AMD.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology today announced key milestones in its ongoing effort to use the power of data science to improve medical and surgical eye care. In less than three years since its introduction, the Academy’s IRIS® (Intelligent Research in Sight) Registry is now the world’s largest clinical database. Academy leaders discussed the most recent milestones with the effort during several events at AAO 2016, the Academy’s 120th Annual Meeting.

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Mount Sinai researchers are using optimal coherence tomography (OCT) angiography to look at the earliest stages of glaucoma and identify characteristic patterns of different forms of glaucoma based on their vascular patterns. The research can help lead to earlier diagnosis and slow down progression of vision loss.

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The visual cortex – a region of the brain known to process sensory information – plays a key role in promoting the plasticity of innate, spontaneous eye movements, according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

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Ophthalmologists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear are currently accepting patients who may be candidates for a newly FDA-approved outpatient procedure known as “corneal cross-linking.” Corneal cross-linking is a stabilizing treatment to halt the progression of keratoconus, a degenerative eye condition in which the cornea becomes thin and irregularly shaped. Keratoconus can affect adults and children as young as preteenagers, and may result in progressive vision loss if left untreated. While eyeglasses and contacts can serve as visual aids for these patients, —with advanced cases sometimes requiring corneal transplant surgery — corneal cross-linking is currently the only treatment available that can stop the progression of keratoconus.

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Chicago will become the global epicenter of the latest discoveries in ophthalmology this week as thousands of eye physicians and surgeons attend AAO 2016, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 120th annual meeting. The world's largest showcase for vision research and innovation will be held in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology on Oct. 14-18 at McCormick Place.

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A new study sought to improve diabetic eye health by examining the barriers to retinal screening and found patients and health care providers had markedly divergent perceptions of the barriers.

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Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University have received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research to restore vision through regeneration of the retina.

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The National Eye Institute has awarded UAB’s Jason Nichols and colleagues a $1.9 million grant for dry eye research that could lead to a targeted therapy.

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Migrant farmworkers have substantial rates of near- and distant-vision problems, but three-fourths have never had a vision screening test, reports a study in the October issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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The call for abstracts opens Friday, Sept. 30, for the second annual Optimal Aging Conference, hosted by the Univeristy of Louisville Institute for Sustainable Health & Optimal Aging and the Kentucky Association for Gerontology. The conference will be held June 11-13, 2017.

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In cases of severe ocular trauma involving the cornea, wound healing occurs following intervention, but at the cost of opaque scar tissue formation and damaged vision. Recent research has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — which can differentiate into a variety of cells, including bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat cells — are capable of returning clarity to scarred corneas; however, the mechanisms by which this happens remained a mystery – until now. In a study published online today in Stem Cell Reports, researchers from Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), secreted by MSCs, as the key factor responsible for promoting wound healing and reducing inflammation in preclinical models of corneal injury. Their findings suggest that HGF-based treatments may be effective in restoring vision in patients with severely scarred corneas.

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Researchers from the U.S. and India have begun a new collaborative project to identify genetic risk factors and traits related to glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the researchers’ goal is to help develop effective screening, prevention, and treatment strategies for glaucoma. Grants from the two agencies stem from a bilateral initiative, the U.S.-India Collaborative Vision Research Program, designed to advance knowledge in the biological mechanisms of ocular disease.

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A common pathway involved in photoreceptor death has been identified in retinitis pigmentosa, advanced dry age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases, with early evidence of a possible halt to vision loss related to treatment of the pathway.

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As many as half of people are blind to motion in some part of their field of vision, but the deficit doesn’t have anything to do with the eyes. In a new study, University of Wisconsin–Madison psychology Professor Bas Rokers and collaborators in the Netherlands have shown that motion blindness is a failure of the brain to properly interpret sensory information — a type of deficit called agnosia.

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Olin College students develop a device to assist blind sailors in match racing.

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"Vision impairment remains notably absent from many population health agendas and community programs,” say the authors of a new report, "Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow," from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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A $1.9 million grant to Indiana University from the National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute will advance basic research on the eye with applications to blindness caused by genetic disorders and aging.

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Complications of diabetes can lead to blindness, yet only 29.9 percent of diabetic patients studied adhered to recommendations to have an eye examination.

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Neuroscientists at University of California, Irvine have discovered a molecular signaling mechanism that translates visual impairments into functional changes in brain circuit connections. The discovery may help to develop novel therapeutic drugs to treat the childhood visual disorder amblyopia and other neurodevelopment disorders

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Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have discovered a new mutation in a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli that resists clearance by the body’s own immune system by inhibiting white blood cells that ordinarily kill and remove bacteria. In a paper published online today in JAMA Ophthalmology, the researchers describe the case that led them to discover the mutation, and offer suggestions for how to recognize and address this particular microbe if encountered in the future.

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The BrightFocus Foundation has awarded a glaucoma research grant of more than $149,000 to J. Crawford Downs, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, for his work on a new wireless system to measure and control fluid pressure around the optic nerve.

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A recent study suggests that a diet that includes plenty of green, leafy vegetables may lower the risk of glaucoma.

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Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear have, for the first time, identified rapidly proliferating cells (known as “neural crest-derived progenitor cells”) in the corneal endothelium of specimens from normal corneas and from corneas with Fuchs’ Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), a condition in which the cells responsible for keeping the cornea clear die prematurely — often leading to blindness. The findings, published in the American Journal of Pathology, hold promise for new therapies to be developed using the proliferating cells to return normal clearing abilities to the cornea in patients with FECD.

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Lonza Houston, Inc., a global leader in viral gene and cell therapy manufacturing, and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, the world’s largest vision and hearing research center, have entered into a strategic agreement that provides customers the ability to in-license Anc80 and other Anc-AAVs for the clinical development and commercialization of novel gene therapies. The agreement is designed to accelerate gene therapy drug development across the field in order to address diseases in need of treatments and thereby ultimately reach more patients.

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Patients suffering from noninfectious uveitis, a group of diseases that causes eye inflammation, can get effective treatment from a corticosteroid alternative that has previously been approved for treatment of arthritis and Crohn’s disease, according to a study led by a Duke Health researcher.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published a study that shows that genetic material from the Zika virus has been found in tears. The study, fast-tracked for publication in Cell Reports, was conducted in mice, thereby creating an animal model for studying transmission and treatment of this alarming virus. The study, published September 6, 2016, also confirms that the Zika virus can lead to cell death in the eyes. Research to Prevent Blindness, located in New York, provided funding for this study.

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Researchers at McMaster University have re-invented the eye drop with technology that can deliver medicine much more efficiently, making life easier for patients.

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The National Institutes of Health will fund six projects to identify biological factors that affect neural regeneration in the retina. The projects are part of the National Eye Institute (NEI) Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI), a targeted effort to restore vision by regenerating neurons and their connections in the eye and visual system. These projects will receive a total of $12.4 million over three years, pending availability of funds.

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Tall quarterbacks might have more going for them than a clear view over the offensive line. New research shows that tall people are better than shorter people at correctly identifying the location of targets in their middle-distance vision – between three and 20 meters away. (In football, that would be about three to 22 yards away.)

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For people with nearsightedness (myopia), the lens doesn't compensate for growth or other changes in the structure of the eye, according to a long-term follow-up study in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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A contact lens designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye could improve outcomes for patients with conditions requiring treatment with eye drops, which are often imprecise and difficult to self-administer. In a study published online today in Ophthalmology, a team of researchers have shown that a novel contact lens-based system, which uses a strategically placed drug polymer film to deliver medication gradually to the eye, is at least as effective, and possibly more so, as daily latanoprost eye drops in a pre-clinical model for glaucoma.

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A gentle combination of FDA-approved drugs could protect critical cells in the eye, called photoreceptor cells, against damage caused by bright light.

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People with diabetes need vision screening every year to prevent blindness. What if the eye doctor came to them?

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Interfering with your vision makes it harder to describe what you know about the appearance of even common objects, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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The $1.4 million, two-pronged initiative involves funding partnerships with Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation (RDPFS), and our newest partner, Consumer Technology Association™ Foundation (CTAF).

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Research published in Diabetes Care found some incredible information regarding Diabetes and vision loss.

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With back-to-school time around the corner, parents will be scrambling to buy new school supplies and clothes. As they tick off their long list of school to-dos, ophthalmologists are reminding moms and dads not to neglect one of the most important learning tools: their children’s eyes.