In a paper published in the April 16 print issue of the journal Neuron, University of Iowa researchers Bernd Fritzsch and Jeremy Duncan and their colleagues at Harvard Medical School, along with investigator and corresponding author Elizabeth Engle, describe how their studies on mutated mice mimic human mutations.
The first major study of color blindness in a multi-ethnic group of preschoolers has uncovered that Caucasian male children have the highest prevalence among four major ethnicities, with 1 in 20 testing color blind. Researchers also found that color blindness, or color vision deficiency, in boys is lowest in African-Americans, and confirmed that girls have a much lower prevalence of color blindness than boys. The study will be published online April 3 in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Why do we become saucer-eyed from fear and squint from disgust? These near-opposite facial expressions are rooted in emotional responses that exploit how our eyes gather and focus light to detect an unknown threat, according to a study by a Cornell University neuroscientist.
A physically active lifestyle and occasional drinking is associated with a reduced risk of developing visual impairment, according to a study published online this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Hemianopia, or blindness in one half of the visual field in both eyes as the result of strokes, tumors or trauma often means the end of driving. Researchers set out to determine the extent to which people with hemianopia can compensate for the lost vision when driving.
For adults and children who undergo cataract surgery, implantation of an artificial lens is the standard of care. But a clinical trial suggests that for most infants, surgery followed by the use of contact lenses for several years—and an eventual lens implant—may be the better solution.
Research exploring several new diagnostic strategies to find the earliest changes in the eye to detect glaucoma is underway at the UAB School of Optometry. One optometrist says awareness of this eye disorder is just as important as continuing to study it.
A simple vision test performed on the sidelines may help determine whether athletes have suffered a concussion, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.
An Internet-based screening approach performs well in identifying patients with treatable diabetic eye disease, according to a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use may lower cataract risk in men, according to a study of nearly 15,000 male physicians published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Abnormal color vision increases significantly with aging—affecting one-half or more of people in the oldest age groups, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health
When a prime-time sportscaster went on the air to cover the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics with pink eye, the world took notice. One UAB optometrist says this virus currently lacks an FDA-approved drug, but she has a planned study to solve that.
A series of coincidences and a collaboration with researchers at the University of Iowa and Columbia University gave Michael Stone, Ironman triathlete, fundraiser, advocate, and author, answers about the retinal condition that has left him legally blind.
Minimizing a person’s sight for as little as a week may help improve the brain’s ability to process hearing.
Deprivation of vision during critical periods of childhood development has long been thought to result in irreversible vision loss. Now, researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have challenged that theory by studying a unique population of pediatric patients who were blind during these critical periods before removal of bilateral cataracts. The researchers found improvement after sight onset in contrast sensitivity tests, which measure basic visual function and have well-understood neural underpinnings. Their results show that the human visual system can retain plasticity beyond critical periods, even after early and extended blindness.
Using a novel high-throughput screening process, scientists have for the first time identified molecules with the potential to block the accumulation of a toxic eye protein that can lead to early onset of glaucoma.
Using a simple study of eye movements, Johns Hopkins scientists report evidence that people who are less patient tend to move their eyes with greater speed. The findings, the researchers say, suggest that the weight people give to the passage of time may be a trait consistently used throughout their brains, affecting the speed with which they make movements, as well as the way they make certain decisions.
A comparative long-range study by Mayo Clinic ophthalmology researchers shows that the probability of blindness from glaucoma 20 years after diagnosis has dropped by half in the last generation. The findings appear online in the “in press” section of the journal Ophthalmology.
The probability of blindness due to the serious eye disease glaucoma has decreased by nearly half since 1980, according to a study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The researchers speculate that advances in diagnosis and therapy are likely causes for the decrease, but caution that a significant proportion of patients still progress to blindness.
Glaucoma is a stealthy disease. It can cause irreparable damage to the eyes before there is any vision loss. It also has been known since antiquity, but its cause is a mystery in most cases. Glaucoma Awareness Month is a good time to ask: Are researchers making progress toward solving this mystery?
Aging gracefully may not be an option for the 40 million people worldwide who are blind or have significant visual impairment. It’s reported that 65% of those with visual impairment and 82% of those who are blind are over 50 years of age. In a special issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), ophthalmic leaders from around the world address “the aging eye” to focus attention on unmet needs and accelerate the translation of research findings into effective clinical care.
Investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have identified new molecular abnormalities in the diabetic cornea that could contribute to eye problems in affected patients. With this new knowledge, investigators aim to accelerate the process of healing and repair in damaged corneas to ultimately reverse the effects of diabetes-induced eye complications.
Small research labs provide an engine of discovery for new therapies. But developing a new drug or device requires expertise that is typically beyond the scope of a single lab. NEI has a program that helps diverse experts work together and move potential therapies into clinical trials.
Baseball players at bat follow coaches' advice to "keep your eye on the ball"—but head movements play a surprisingly important role in tracking pitches, suggests a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology report on the first study in 35 years that reviews the circumstances around retinal detachment after open globe injuries (OGI) and describes a new tool that may help ophthalmologists predict which patients are at higher risk after open globe trauma so they can potentially prevent retinal detachment from happening or identify – and repair – it more quickly, thus saving vision.
For the estimated 10 percent of patients whose bodies reject a corneal transplant, the odds of a second transplant succeeding are poor. All that could change, however, based on a UT Southwestern Medical Center study that has found a way to boost the corneal transplant acceptance rate.
Preoperative consultations before cataract surgery became more common for Medicare patients despite no clear guidelines about when to require such a service, hinting at unnecessary use of health care resources, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the leading cause of dry eye disease, which affects tens of millions of Americans. However, there is no FDA-approved treatment for MGD. Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have just identified a potential therapy.
Despite recent advances in prevention and treatment of most vision loss attributed to diabetes, a new study shows that fewer than half of Americans with damage to their eyes from diabetes are aware of the link between the disease and visual impairment, and only six in 10 had their eyes fully examined in the year leading up to the study.
Dr. JP Lowery is one of hundreds of optometrists across the country who provide free comprehensive eye exams to infants as part of a nationwide program. The exams can detect eye problems early enough to prevent vision loss and learning disabilities.
Shun-Nan Yang is also an expert in eye movement control as it relates to reading and sports performance.
Holiday travelers will be relieved to know that security threats are rarely encountered at airport checkpoints. But according to a new study published in the Journal of Vision, the low frequency at which trained airport screeners find threats reduces the chances targets will be found.
Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are one step closer to an eye drop-free reality with the development of a drug-eluting contact lens designed for prolonged delivery of latanoprost, a common drug used for the treatment of glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Exposure for even fractions of a second to high-powered blue handheld laser devices can cause serious eye injuries, according to a study recently released online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The researchers have concluded that the wide availability of these devices, which are often marketed as toys, could lead to an epidemic of ocular injuries, and greater public awareness and government intervention should be encouraged.
Adding to evidence that "high-volume" specialty care in busy teaching hospitals leads to efficiencies unavailable in community hospitals, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers finds that patients undergoing repair of traumatic eye socket injuries at its busy academic medical center fared just as well at far less cost than those treated at all other Maryland hospitals.
Researchers in the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have designed and tested a novel, minute-long procedure to prepare human amniotic membrane for use as a scaffold for specialized stem cells that may be used to treat some corneal diseases. This membrane serves as a foundation that supports the growth of stem cells in order to graft them onto the cornea. This new method, explained in a paper published this month in the journal PLOS ONE, may accelerate research and clinical applications for stem cell corneal transplantation.
Follow-up in older adults shows a high rate of anisometropia, or differing levels of visual abnormalities between eyes, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Research presented today, at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in New Orleans, has found that women who have taken oral contraceptives for three or more years are twice as likely to suffer from glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness which affects nearly 60 million worldwide. The researchers caution gynecologists and ophthalmologists to be aware of the fact that oral contraceptives might play a role in glaucomatous diseases, and inform patients to have their eyes screened for glaucoma if they also have other risk factors.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology today unveiled the nation’s first comprehensive eye disease and condition patient database. The IRIS ™ Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) made its debut in a presentation to 25,000 attendees during the opening session of the world’s largest ophthalmic conference – the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Residents of major cities with high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dry eye syndrome, according to a study presented at the world's largest ophthalmic conference, the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in New Orleans. Study subjects in and around Chicago and New York City were found to be three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with dry eye syndrome compared to less urban areas with relatively little air pollution.
Research presented today at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology shows that wearing visors in the National Hockey League (NHL) could cause a four-fold decrease in the risk of eye injuries. Furthermore, the study found that eye injuries over the last 10 seasons have cost the NHL and its associated franchises more than $32 million in missed games.
Research presented today at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology shows promising data about a device that helps people who have lost their vision due to a blinding genetic disease to recognize common objects. In the study, the researchers found when the objects’ outlines had been enhanced, there was increased recognition. The device, called the Argus II, is the first FDA-approved retinal implant for adults with retinitis pigmentosa.
Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Corneas from donors over age 71 perform slightly less well, but still remain healthy for the majority of transplant recipients after 10 years, the study found.
Cataract surgeries performed over one year eventually save $123.4 billion over 13 years and delivers a 4,567 percent financial return on investment to society according to the results of a cost-utility study, published online today in the Academy’s official journal, Ophthalmology, and will be presented on Nov. 17 at the world’s largest ophthalmic conference, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 117th Annual Meeting, in New Orleans. Researchers say that the results prove that healthcare interventions create substantial economic wealth.
A multi-center study (NCT00494676) led by Alex Bowers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at HMS and Assistant Scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, determined that real peripheral prism glasses are more helpful than sham peripheral prism glasses for patients with hemianopia during every day walking.
Children born extremely prematurely have up to a 19 times greater risk of retinal detachment later in life than peers born at term, according to a Swedish study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Parent-Scientists collaborate with son's physician to find way to screen children for eye cancer using digital photography.
November is National Diabetes Month. It's a good time to remember that people with diabetes are at risk for vision loss from diabetic eye disease. Anyone with diabetes should have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.
Our vision depends on exquisitely organized layers of cells within the eye’s retina, each with a distinct role in perception. Johns Hopkins researchers say they have taken an important step toward understanding how those cells are organized to produce what the brain “sees.” Specifically, they report identification of a gene that guides the separation of two types of motion-sensing cells, offering insight into how cellular layering develops in the retina, with possible implications for the brain’s cerebral cortex.
With the help of computerized eye trackers, a new cognitive science study finds that at least 50 percent of people can see the movement of their own hand even in the absence of all light.
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