Specific cells in the retina trigger inflammation and vision impairment associated with diabetes, according to new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
If intelligent life without sight exists on some distant planet in our galaxy, these lifeforms would still explore the universe; how? This is a guiding question for Innovators Developing Accessible Tools for Astronomy (IDATA), a new research initiative supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Johns Hopkins researchers report that in-home occupational therapy appears to reduce the rate and severity of depression in people at higher risk for the disorder because of seriously impaired vision.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older adults in the United States, is often associated with psychological stress. A simple stress rating scale (the Perceived Stress Scale) is a valid and useful way to evaluate the connection between stress and progressive vision loss from AMD, according to a study in the March issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Researchers have developed a new way to identify and sort stem cells that may one day allow clinicians to restore vision to people with damaged corneas using the patient’s own eye tissue.
It is no secret that the issues associated with current glaucoma medications can be problematic. Systemic medications carry the risk of side effects, while the current medical treatment of choice, eye drops, has its own drawbacks. Studies show that half of patients stop taking their prescription glaucoma eye drops after a year, leaving them vulnerable to vision loss
A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that pre-eclampsia may be associated with retinal disease in the mother later in life. Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and large amounts of protein in the urine. According to this study, more severe and earlier-onset pre-eclampsia was associated with even higher risk.
A Florida State University researcher will lead a joint U.S.-Russia project that will examine the effect of space travel on astronauts’ vision, an ongoing problem that NASA has been eager to solve.
Researchers from Queen's University Belfast collaborate with Guide Dogs NI on a new research study to understand the impact of sight loss on how early movement develops in children with a vision impairment.
NeuroVision Imaging LLC (“NeuroVision”) today announced its participation in a new substudy with investigators at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (UC San Diego) and the University of Southern California (USC) to be part of the landmark Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s (or “A4”) clinical trial. The purpose of the A4 study is to test whether a new investigational treatment that may reduce beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain can also slow memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
e Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has joined with other scientific societies in partnering with the March for Science, a mass outpouring of non-partisan support for science and the scientific community.
As NASA prepares for its journey to Mars, one UAB researcher is investigating why so many astronauts suffer from poorer vision after they return to Earth.
Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified the genetic underpinnings of a rare disorder that causes children to be born with deafness, blindness, albinism and fragile bones.
Scientists at the Wayne State University School of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology at the Kresge Eye Institute have shown that the Zika virus can replicate in the eye’s retinal cells, causing severe tissue damage and even blindness. The research is supported in part by Research to Prevent Blindness.
By the time current screening recommendations kicked in, 18% of youth with type 1 diabetes already had diabetic retinopathy, according to a study led by University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.
Scientific research builds its own momentum as one discovery triggers another, building an ongoing wave of unexpected possibilities. In the world of glaucoma, such a surge began when advances in stem cell research opened doors experts had never imagined.
The Shaffer Prize is awarded annually by Glaucoma Research Foundation to recognize a researcher whose project best exemplifies the pursuit of innovative ideas in the quest to cure glaucoma.
The Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala at San Francisco’s historic Palace Hotel honored leaders in glaucoma research innovation and visionary volunteers helping to raise awareness.
Researchers show that GARP2 accelerates retinal degeneration in mice, and they have also made an important step toward creating a standardized OTC nomenclature between mice and humans for a measurement of retinal degeneration.
Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, and colleagues at the John A. Moran Center and Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, were looking for a way to tease apart the effects of preeclampsia on the risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease found in premature infants. Their results, and the model they developed, were published February 14, 2017, in Scientific Reports.
Pinkeye isn’t a medical emergency. Neither is a puffy eyelid. But a new study finds that nearly one in four people who seek emergency care for eye problems have those mild conditions, and recommends ways to help those patients get the right level of care.
George Wanna, MD, an internationally renowned hearing and balance surgeon and researcher, has been named the Site Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Beth Israel.
Symptoms of dry eye syndrome -- dry, red, itchy, gritty, sore eyes -- are more common among contact lens wearers. But relief may be on the horizon, thanks to a group of Stanford University researchers and their work exploring the mechanical interactions between the eye surface, the cornea and contact lenses. Ultimately, the group’s goal is to create better contact lenses that maximize comfort and alleviate dry eye symptoms, and their work will be presented at the Society of Rheology meeting being held Feb. 12-16, in Tampa, Florida.
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a cell in the retina that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions. The dysfunction may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away from natural light.
An international team of researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, University College London and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA have developed a cell culture model that could help to develop earlier treatment strategies for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
A new therapeutic agent tested in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) produced anti-inflammatory activity and prevented loss of cells in the optic nerve, according to a new study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Noveome Biotherapeutics.
The University of Chicago Medicine has been awarded a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a system of wireless brain implants that might restore partial vision to people who have lost their sight.
During Low Vision Awareness Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is highlighting new technologies and tools in the works to help the 4.1 million Americans living with low vision or blindness. The innovations aim to help people with vision loss more easily accomplish daily tasks, from navigating office buildings to crossing a street.
In photographs of the eye used to screen for diabetes-related eye disease, separating out the red color channel can help show some abnormalities—especially in racial/ethnic minority patients, suggests a study in the February 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 have shown that a slight increase in transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), which is present in preclinical animal models with diabetic eye disease, protects retinal blood vessels from damage that commonly occurs in the early stages of the disease (known as diabetic retinopathy). Their findings, published in the American Journal of Pathology, may lead to targeted therapeutics that delay or prevent the development of the disease in patients.
Christine Curcio, Ph.D., led an international team of researchers that developed a culture system for age-related macular degeneration, the third most prevalent cause of vision loss worldwide.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are collaborating with scientists from Sancilio and Company, Inc. to begin a new research project aimed at finding a treatment for patients afflicted by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an inherited disease that causes severe progressive vision impairment and blindness.
A new study in rats shows that stem cell secretions, called exosomes, appear to protect cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The findings, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, point to potential therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Johns Hopkins researchers report that a new peptide holds promise for improving treatment for degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. These vascular diseases often result in central vision loss as blood vessels grow into tissues at the back of the eye, where such growth should not occur.
University of Utah engineers have created “smart glasses” with liquid-based lenses that can automatically adjust the focus on what a person is seeing, whether it is far away or close up.
In partnership with the Bay State Council of the Blind, Massachusetts Eye and Ear today announced the launch of a comprehensive initiative to ensure that persons with visual disabilities have full and equal opportunity to the best possible care.
The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute will provide free eye screenings for Baltimore seniors as part of its Screening to Prevent Glaucoma (SToP Glaucoma) program. It will be held during an event at the Mary Harvin Senior Center on Thursday, Jan. 26. The free screening events is aimed at eliminating some of the barriers to accessing healthcare faced by Baltimore residents
A University of Cincinnati study reported that patients who sustained a concussion, followed by symptoms of visual dysfunction, experienced delayed central and peripheral vision reaction times.
Vision deterioration in astronauts who spend a long time in space is likely due to the lack of a day-night cycle in intracranial pressure. But using a vacuum device to lower pressure for part of each day might prevent the problem, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers said.
Massachusetts Eye and Ear has launched a health blog to provide stories and insight from experts in otolaryngology (ear, nose, throat, head and neck care) and ophthalmology (eye care) to those interested in the hospital’s mission and areas of expertise. The online publication, named Focus, covers a range of topics in the form of expert commentary on common conditions, profiles of medical and research trainees, research findings and patient stories.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. The National Eye Institute, part of NIH, is highlighting key facts about this blinding disease, important tips for prevention and treatment, and research updates you may not know about.
UNC scientists found more clues about the evolving brains of baby mammals as eyesight comes online. Using an imaging system to get neuron-level resolution, they showed how one specific brain circuit in mice came online immediately after birth, but another needed visual stimuli in order to mature.