MedWorm: Blindness

Is Love Blind?

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:21:23 +0100

"Love is not blind-It sees more and not less, but because it sees more it is willing to see less." Will Moss "Love is blind and marriage is the institution for the blind." James Graham. "Many a man has fallen in love with a girl in a light so dim he would not have chosen a suit by it." Maurice Chevalier Lovers are often blind to the beloved's negative traits and tend to create an idealized image of the beloved. We often love the idealized object rather than the real one. Are we then blind when we fall in love and when we maintain it? In a surprising number of cases, people fall in love with their idealized vision of their lovers, or with the idea of being in love, rather than with the actual reality of their lovers. Indeed people often say that they are living out their dreams with their b...

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Does onchocerciasis transmission take place in hypoendemic areas? a study from the North Region of Cameroon

Tropical Medicine and International Health — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Objective Community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI) for onchocerciasis control is targeted to meso and hyperendemic areas in Africa. Below the threshold, communities are considered hypoendemic and, mass treatment is not recommended. As policy begins to shift from control to elimination, the role of hypoendemic areas in maintaining Onchocerca volvulus needs to be re-examined. The study determined whether independent transmission occurs in a hypoendemic area in the North region of Cameroon.Methods Ten 'high risk' communities along the River Mayo Douka system in Ngong Health District, at least 20 km from the nearest CDTI program were studied. Six hundred and forty-nine adults (over 20 years of age) and 561 children (under 10 years) were examined for nodules and microfilaria. A subsa...

Acucela And Otsuka Pharmaceutical Receive FDA Fast Track Designation For ACU-4429 In Patients With Dry AMD

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Acucela Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for blinding eye diseases, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., today announced that they have received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ACU-4429, an investigational oral treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Subretinal Implant Restores Unprecedented Level Of Vision To Blind Patients

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Retina Implant, AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, today announced scientific revelations discovered during the company's first human clinical trial. The results achieved in the 11 patients that were involved in the trial exceeded the company's expectations for their first trial. In fact, a few of the patients were able to see objects and shapes so clearly they could combine letters to form words and recognize foreign objects... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Acucela And Otsuka Pharmaceutical Receive FDA Fast Track Designation For ACU-4429 In Patients With Dry AMD

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Subretinal Implant Restores Unprecedented Level Of Vision To Blind Patients

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Retina Implant, AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, today announced scientific revelations discovered during the company's first human clinical trial. The results achieved in the 11 patients that were involved in the trial exceeded the company's expectations for their first trial... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

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The challenge of uncorrected refractive error: driving the agenda of the Durban Declaration on refractive error and service development

Clinical and Experimental Optometry — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The purpose of this article is to highlight the challenge of uncorrected refractive error globally, as well as to discuss recent advocacy successes and innovative programs designed to address the need for broader refractive error service development, particularly in developing countries. The World Health Organization's VISION 2020: The Right to Sight program first posed the challenge to national governments to give priority to strategies and resources targeted towards avoidable causes of blindness and visual impairment, so that these unnecessary forms of blindness or visual impairment can be eliminated globally by the year 2020. The blindness prevention community is challenged to increase in scale its initiatives, which support the attainment of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight goals primar...

Identification and Functional Analysis of the Vision-Specific BBS3 (ARL6) Long Isoform

PLoS Genetics — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

In this study we utilized two model systems, the zebrafish and mouse, to evaluate the function of a specific form of BBS (BBS3). We have identified a novel protein product of the BBS3 gene and demonstrated that functional and structural abnormalities of the eye occur when this form of BBS3 is absent. This finding is of significance because it indicates that BBS3 mutations can lead to non-syndromic blindness, as well as blindness associated with other clinical features. This work also indicates that treatment of BBS3 blindness will require replacement of a specific form of the BBS3 gene. (Source: PLoS Genetics)

BrainPort Helps Blinded Soldier See With Tongue

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0100

A British soldier who was blinded by a grenade in Iraq three years ago said his life has been transformed since he was fitted with a prototype BrainPort device that allows him to "see" with his tongue. 24-year old Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg from Walton in Liverpool, UK, told BBC News on Monday that while the device is only a prototype, it has a lot of potential to advance things for blind people: "the potential to change my life is massive," he said... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

BrainPort Helps Blinded Soldier See With Tongue

Medical Devices News From Medical News Today — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0100

Another serious eye disease, uveitis, linked to smoking

ScienceDaily Headlines — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Smoking is already a known risk factor for age-related macular degeneration, cataract and thyroid eye disease. Now, the first study to specifically examine the impact of smoking on uveitis-inflammation of the eye's middle layer of tissue-indicates that tobacco smoke likely plays a role in this serious eye disease, as well. In the United States about 10 percent of blindness is caused by uveitis. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Study hails "sight-saving" drug

Nursing in Practice — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:56:55 +0100

Two patients threatened with blindness by a rare condition have had their sight saved by the drug Avastin, a consultant has claimed (Source: Nursing in Practice)

Video: Blinded soldier can 'see' with his tongue

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:54:05 +0100

New technology is helping a soldier blinded by a grenade attack in Basra see again using a camera that sends electrical impulses to his tongue (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

Blinded soldier 'sees' with his tongue

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:54:05 +0100

New technology is helping a soldier blinded by a grenade attack in Basra see again using a camera that sends electrical impulses to his tongue (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

Inspire Announces Results From AZASITE(R) Phase 2 Blepharitis Trials And Plans To Continue Clinical Development In Anterior And Posterior Blepharitis

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPH) announced the results from two Phase 2 clinical trials with AZASITE (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1% for the treatment of blepharitis. Inspire will conduct additional clinical work to continue pursuing a potential indication for treatment of anterior and posterior forms of blepharitis. The initial Phase 2 work consisted of two clinical trials in patients with anterior blepharitis, one with a two-week treatment period and one with a four-week treatment period... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Inspire Announces Results From AZASITE(R) Phase 2 Blepharitis Trials And Plans To Continue Clinical Development In Anterior And Posterior Blepharitis

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISPH) announced the results from two Phase 2 clinical trials with AZASITE (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1% for the treatment of blepharitis. Inspire will conduct additional clinical work to continue pursuing a potential indication for treatment of anterior and posterior forms of blepharitis... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

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Visually Impaired Students Benefit From New Teaching Tools

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Mastering mathematics can be daunting for many children, but researchers have found that children with visual impairments face disproportionate challenges learning math, and by the time they reach the college level, they are significantly under-represented in science, technology, mathematics and engineering disciplines... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Visually Impaired Students Benefit From New Teaching Tools

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Dr. Arnall Patz dies at 89; helped eliminate major cause of blindness

Los Angeles Times - Science — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:35:00 +0100

In one of the first clinical studies, Patz found that excess oxygen given to premature babies in incubators led to a disease that causes blindness; he later received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Dr. Arnall Patz, a Johns Hopkins University physician who discovered and eliminated a major cause of blindness in children, died Thursday of heart disease at his home in Pikesville, Md. He was 89. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

Dr. Arnall Patz, Who Saved Many From Blindness, Dies at 89

NYT > Health — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:31:25 +0100

Doctors used to think they were helping premature babies by giving them a lot of oxygen. Dr. Patz proved they were hurting them. (Source: NYT > Health)

Dr. Arnall Patz dies at 89; helped eliminate major cause of blindness

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:35:00 +0100

Dr. Arnall Patz, a Johns Hopkins University physician who discovered and eliminated a major cause of blindness in children, died Thursday of heart disease at his home in Pikesville, Md. He was 89. The director emeritus of the Wilmer Eye Institute at... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

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When watching 3D can fall flat

Telegraph Health — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:14 +0100

For those viewers with stereo-blindness, watching Alice in Wonderland in 3D gets even curiouser. (Source: Telegraph Health)

Changes in neurodevelopmental outcome at age eight in geographic cohorts of children born at 22-27 weeks' gestational age during the 1990s

Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:33:26 +0100

Conclusions The high prevalence of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in children born at 22–27 weeks compared with term controls at school age persists, and may even be increasing over time. (Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition)

More Adequate Provision Of Eye Care Services Need To 'Close The Gap' In Vision Loss In Indigenous People, Australia

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Blindness rates in Indigenous Australians are still much higher than in non-Indigenous Australians, despite a probable fall in overall rates of blindness in Indigenous people in the past 30 years, according to research published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Most blindness was due to readily preventable or treatable causes of vision loss, including cataract, diabetes, refractive error and trachoma... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

More Adequate Provision Of Eye Care Services Need To 'Close The Gap' In Vision Loss In Indigenous People, Australia

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Blindness rates in Indigenous Australians are still much higher than in non-Indigenous Australians, despite a probable fall in overall rates of blindness in Indigenous people in the past 30 years, according to research published in the Medical Journal of Australia... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

Dr. Arnall Patz, director emeritus at the Wilmer Eye Institute, dies at 89

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Dr. Arnall Patz, a Johns Hopkins physician who discovered and eliminated a major cause of blindness in children, died Thursday of heart disease at his Pikesville home. He was 89. The director emeritus of the Wilmer Eye Institute, he was considered a... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

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Blindness from suprachoroidal haemorrhage in two patients with age-related macular degeneration on systemic anticoagulation therapy or an antiplatelet agent.

Med J Aust — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Garrott HM, Haynes RJ PMID: 20230354 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Med J Aust)

The prevalence and causes of vision loss in Indigenous Australians: the National Indigenous Eye Health Survey.

Med J Aust — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: Many causes of vision loss in our sample were readily avoidable. Better allocation of services and resources is required to give all Australians equal access to eye health services. PMID: 20230347 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Med J Aust)

Arnall Patz, M.D., June 14, 1920 – March 11, 2010-3/12/10

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:25:01 +0100

Arnall Patz, director emeritus of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins; a pivotal figure in the history of ophthalmology; and the recipient of both a Presidential Medal of Freedom and an Albert Lasker Award, often called the “American Nobel,” for his groundbreaking research into the causes and prevention of blindness, died on March 10. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Abbott Receives U.S. FDA Approval For New Cataract Multifocal Intraocular Lens

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the TECNIS® Multifocal 1-Piece intraocular lens (IOL) for cataract patients with and without presbyopia. Intraocular lenses are implanted in a patient's eye after the removal of the natural lens that has become clouded by a cataract... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Abbott Receives U.S. FDA Approval For New Cataract Multifocal Intraocular Lens

Medical Devices News From Medical News Today — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

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600 Million-Year-Old Origins Of Vision Discovered By Scientists At UCSB

Biology / Biochemistry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

By studying the hydra, a member of an ancient group of sea creatures that is still flourishing, scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made a discovery in understanding the origins of human vision. The finding is published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British journal of biology. Hydra are simple animals that, along with jellyfish, belong to the phylum cnidaria... (Source: Biology / Biochemistry News From Medical News Today)

600 Million-Year-Old Origins Of Vision Discovered By Scientists At UCSB

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

By studying the hydra, a member of an ancient group of sea creatures that is still flourishing, scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made a discovery in understanding the origins of human vision. The finding is published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British journal of biology. Hydra are simple animals that, along with jellyfish, belong to the phylum cnidaria. Cnidarians first emerged 600 million years ago. "We determined which genetic 'gateway,' or ion channel, in the hydra is involved in light sensitivity," said senior author Todd H... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Attentional inhibition mediates inattentional blindness.

Consciousness and Cognition — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Thakral PP, Slotnick SD Salient stimuli presented at unattended locations are not always perceived, a phenomenon termed inattentional blindness. We hypothesized that inattentional blindness may be mediated by attentional inhibition. It has been shown that attentional inhibition effects are maximal near an attended location. If our hypothesis is correct, inattentional blindness effects should similarly be maximal near an attended location. During central fixation, participants viewed rapidly presented colored digits at a peripheral location. An unexpected black circle (the critical stimulus) was concurrently presented. Participants were instructed to maintain central fixation and name each color/digit, requiring focused attention to that location. For each participant, the crit...

Nigeria: Glaucoma - Second World Leading Cause of Blindness - Experts

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:09:14 +0100

THE Secretary General of Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) and Doctor Ophthalmological Surgeon, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Dr. (Mrs.) Onokoya has said that Glaucoma is the world second leading cause of blindness and Second common cause of blindness in Nigeria. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Abbott Receives U.S. FDA Approval For New Cataract Multifocal Intraocular Lens

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the TECNIS® Multifocal 1-Piece intraocular lens (IOL) for cataract patients with and without presbyopia. Intraocular lenses are implanted in a patient's eye after the removal of the natural lens that has become clouded by a cataract... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Abbott Receives U.S. FDA Approval For New Cataract Multifocal Intraocular Lens

Medical Devices News From Medical News Today — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Guide Dogs Granted Permission To Apply For Judicial Review In Dispute With Royal Borough Of Kensington And Chelsea Over Plans For Exhibition Road, UK

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

The High Court gave the green light to Guide Dogs to proceed with the legal challenge against Kensington and Chelsea's development plans for Exhibition Road. The scheme is reportedly costing Â£25m, funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, City of Westminster and the Mayor of London. Over the last five years, Guide Dogs, on behalf of blind and partially sighted people and other vulnerable groups, has raised concerns about this multi-million pound "single surface" scheme which will see vehicles share space with an estimated 19 million pedestrians per year... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Guide Dogs Granted Permission To Apply For Judicial Review In Dispute With Royal Borough Of Kensington And Chelsea Over Plans For Exhibition Road, UK

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Green tea nutrients may prevent glaucoma

NaturalNews.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

We present these findings in protest of the way in which they were acquired.For more information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20085274 http://www.glaucoma.org/ http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp (Source: NaturalNews.com)

Blindness

MedicineNet Cholesterol General — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Title: BlindnessCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 3/10/2010 3:30:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 3/10/2010 3:30:02 PM (Source: MedicineNet Cholesterol General)

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Blindness

MedicineNet Heart General — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Title: BlindnessCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 3/10/2010 3:30:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 3/10/2010 3:30:02 PM (Source: MedicineNet Heart General)

Blindness

MedicineNet Senior Health General — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Title: BlindnessCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 3/10/2010 3:30:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 3/10/2010 3:30:02 PM (Source: MedicineNet Senior Health General)

Blindness

MedicineNet Eyesight General — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Title: BlindnessCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 3/10/2010 3:30:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 3/10/2010 3:30:02 PM (Source: MedicineNet Eyesight General)

March is "Save Your Vision" Month

About Diabetes — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Did you know that diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. today? According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, between 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness every year are attributed to diabetes. If you have diabetes, what can you do to protect your vision? Try to keep your blood sugar levels in a normal range. High blood sugar can damage delicate blood vessels in the eye. Visit an eye doctor regularly for checkups. If you notice any changes in your vision, call your eye doctor immediately. More from your diabetes guide... What to Know About Diabetic Retinopathy Photo courtesy of Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty Images March is "Save Your Vision" Month originally appeared on About.com Diabetes on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 01:03:01.Permalink | ...

Care for baby brain bleeds

NHS News Feed — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:17:00 +0100

Conclusion This small study suggests that, compared to standard care, DRIFT reduces the risk of the combined outcome of death or severe disability in premature infants with enlargement of the ventricles in the brain due to bleeding. There are a number of points to note: The study was relatively small, with 39 children in the DRIFT group and 38 in the standard care group. The trial was also stopped early due to safety concerns. The researchers note that these factors mean the results should therefore be interpreted cautiously. While larger studies are preferable, the severity of the condition, its relatively uncommon nature and the difficulties associated with carrying out trials in infants mean that larger studies may not be feasible. There were some differences between the groups...

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Risk Of Developing Cataracts Increased By Anti-Depressants

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Some anti-depressant drugs are associated with an increased chance of developing cataracts, according to a new statistical study by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and McGill University. The study, based on a database of more than 200,000 Quebec residents aged 65 and older, showed statistical relationships between a diagnosis of cataracts or cataract surgery and the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as well as between cataracts and specific drugs within that class... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Risk Of Developing Cataracts Increased By Anti-Depressants

Depression News From Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Scientists Shed New Light On How Retina's Hardware Is Used In Color Vision

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Scientists Shed New Light On How Retina's Hardware Is Used In Color Vision

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Biologists at New York University and the University of WÃ¼rzburg have identified, in greater detail, how the retina's cellular hardware is used in color preference. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), enhance our understanding of how eyes and the brain process color. Light can serve as an attractive or repulsive landmark for orientation - we identify an object or a light source at a certain location in visual space, then approach it or retreat from it. This process, called phototaxis, was the focus of the PNAS study... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Glaucoma Research Foundation Marks World Glaucoma Week By Awarding Over $1 Million In Research Grants

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

The Glaucoma Research Foundation is marking World Glaucoma Week (March 7-13) by announcing more than $1 million in research grants, including the recipients of its Shaffer Fund for Innovative Glaucoma Research. GRF is awarding $1 million again this year to fund the ongoing Catalyst For a Cure (CFC), while four Shaffer Grant recipients will receive $40,000 each in support of their research into the causes and, potentially, cures for glaucoma. With its investment of $1.3 million, GRF continues to be the nation's largest private source of funding for glaucoma research... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Glaucoma Research Foundation Marks World Glaucoma Week By Awarding Over $1 Million In Research Grants

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Nigeria: How Ekiti Battles Blindness

AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:31:26 +0100

The age-old saying that if the roots are good then all the rest of the tree is good, too, can apply with equal force to clinical ophthalmology wherein it is equally said that the most precious part of the human body are the eyes presupposing, of course, that if the eyes are good, then the rest of human existence can hardly fail to be good in one's lifetime. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)

Eye Disease Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population, could be associated with poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new researchÂ¹ announced this week at leading health charity Diabetes UK's Annual Professional Conference. The study looked at 1,066 people with Type 2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75 years old. Participants completed seven tests looking at memory, logic and concentration to establish their level of brain function... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Leading Experts Spotlight "A Day In The Life With Glaucoma" To Demonstrate The Growing Impact Of Glaucoma On Society

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

During World Glaucoma Week (March 7-13), leading glaucoma experts are joining forces to increase awareness of the consequences of diminished vision as a result of glaucoma and its impact on the daily lives of patients. According to research, examples of daily activities that can be difficult for glaucoma patients to manage include driving, locating items, walking on stairs and recognizing faces... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Eye Disease Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes

Diabetes News From Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

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Leading Experts Spotlight "A Day In The Life With Glaucoma" To Demonstrate The Growing Impact Of Glaucoma On Society

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Vision substitution and depth perception: Early blind subjects experience visual perspective through their ears.

Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions. These results suggest the possibility to compensate for some effects of early and long-lasting blindness by providing visual-like experience via SS. Theoretical implications are discussed. PMID: 20214472 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Disability and Rehabilitation. Assistive Technology.)

The effect of topical ocular corticosteroid administration in dogs with experimentally-induced latent canine herpesvirus-1 infection.

Experimental Eye Research — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Ledbetter EC, Kice NC, Matusow RB, Dubovi EJ, Kim SG Recurrent herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) ocular infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and blindness. Factors that trigger viral reactivation are poorly understood and the role of topical ocular corticosteroid administration in the development of recurrent HSV-1 ocular disease is not clear. Clinical reports and epidemiological studies suggested topical corticosteroids may reactivate latent HSV-1 and result in recrudescent ocular disease; however, experimental studies to establish this causal relationship produced inconsistent results. The previous experimental studies were performed by infecting unnatural host species with HSV-1 and aspects of viral behavior and reactivation within these animals may differ from the host ...

Are You At Risk For Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)? Learn The Top 5 Risk Factors

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severe vision loss among Americans ages 65 and over. Knowing your risk factors, being aware of your family history, and keeping regular appointments with your Eye M.D. can help reduce your risks for vision loss from macular degeneration. In its most severe form, known as wet AMD, the disease can lead to permanent loss of central vision which is essential for driving, reading, and recognizing faces... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Are You At Risk For Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)? Learn The Top 5 Risk Factors

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severe vision loss among Americans ages 65 and over. Knowing your risk factors, being aware of your family history, and keeping regular appointments with your Eye M.D. can help reduce your risks for vision loss from macular degeneration... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

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Channelopathies in Ca(v)1.1, Ca (v)1.3, and Ca (v)1.4 voltage-gated L-type Ca (2+) channels.

Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of Physiology — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Striessnig J, Bolz HJ, Koschak A Voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels couple membrane depolarization to Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular signaling events. This is achieved by mediating Ca(2+) ion influx or by direct conformational coupling to intracellular Ca(2+) release channels. The family of Ca(v)1 channels, also termed L-type Ca(2+) channels (LTCCs), is uniquely sensitive to organic Ca(2+) channel blockers and expressed in many electrically excitable tissues. In this review, we summarize the role of LTCCs for human diseases caused by genetic Ca(2+) channel defects (channelopathies). LTCC dysfunction can result from structural aberrations within their pore-forming alpha1 subunits causing hypokalemic periodic paralysis and malignant hyperthermia sensitivity (Ca(v)1.1 alpha1), incompl...

Why Our Peripheral Vision May Not Be As Random As We Think

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

As you read this, you may notice that the word directly in front of you is clear, but all the surrounding words are hard to make out. For most people, this effect - known as 'crowding' - is not a problem. However, for the millions of people worldwide who have lost their central vision through eye disease such as macular degeneration, it can make everyday tasks such as reading or recognising friends a challenge... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Why Our Peripheral Vision May Not Be As Random As We Think

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Disease link to poor memory

Scotsman.com News - Health — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

DIABETIC retinopathy – an illness which is the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working-age population – (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

Eye Condition Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes, Says New Research

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0100

Diabetic retinopathy could be associated with poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to new research announced this week at Diabetes UK's Annual Professional Conference. The study looked at 1,066 people with Type 2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75 years. Participants completed seven tests looking at memory, logic and concentration to establish their level of brain function. Those with retinopathy had worse average scores on most of the individual tests as well as on general cognitive ability compared to those without the condition... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Eye Condition Linked To Weakened Brain Power In People With Diabetes, Says New Research

Diabetes News From Medical News Today — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0100

pSivida Reports Presentation Of Additional Positive 24-Month Data From Iluvien(R) Phase 3 FAME™ Study For Diabetic Macular Edema At Angiogenesis

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

pSivida Corp... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

pSivida Reports Presentation Of Additional Positive 24-Month Data From Iluvien(R) Phase 3 FAME™ Study For Diabetic Macular Edema At Angiogenesis

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

pSivida Corp. (NASDAQ:PSDV) (ASX:PVA) (FF:PV3), a leader in the development of ophthalmic sustained release drug delivery products, with two of the only three such products approved by the FDA for treatment of back of the eye diseases, said that 24-month data from the FAME Phase 3 study for Iluvien presented at Angiogenesis 2010 included additional efficacy and safety data that reinforced the positive top-line results reported in December 2009 by pSivida and its licensee, Alimera Sciences, Inc. Peter A... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Papillorenal Syndrome-Causing Missense Mutations in PAX2/Pax2 Result in Hypomorphic Alleles in Mouse and Human

PLoS Genetics — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Author Summary Congenital ocular malformations affecting the optic nerve are an important cause of childhood blindness. The papillorenal syndrome (PRS) is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes congenital optic nerve and kidney abnormalities, which may result in legal blindness and renal failure, respectively. Many cases of PRS are caused by mutations in the paired-box transcription factor PAX2. In this paper, we describe a novel mouse model of this human disease caused by a missense mutation in the Pax2 gene at the same position of one of the few disease-causing missense mutations in humans. We characterize the ocular and non-ocular phenotypes of this mouse and model the effect that murine and human Pax2/PAX2 mutations have on protein structure. We also experimentally test the effect...

The input ambiguity hypothesis and case blindness: an account of cross-linguistic and intra-linguistic differences in case errors.

Journal of Child Language — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Pelham SD ABSTRACTEnglish-acquiring children frequently make pronoun case errors, while German-acquiring children rarely do. Nonetheless, German-acquiring children frequently make article case errors. It is proposed that when child-directed speech contains a high percentage of case-ambiguous forms, case errors are common in child language; when percentages are low, case errors are rare. Input to English and German children was analyzed for percentage of case-ambiguous personal pronouns on adult tiers of corpora from 24 English-acquiring and 24 German-acquiring children. Also analyzed for German was the percentage of case-ambiguous articles. Case-ambiguous pronouns averaged 63.3% in English, compared with 7.6% in German. The percentage of case-ambiguous articles in German was 7...

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Ush1c gene expression levels in the ear and eye suggest different roles for Ush1c in neurosensory organs in a new Ush1c knockout mouse.

Brain Research — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Tian C, Liu XZ, Han F, Yu H, Longo-Guess C, Yang B, Lu C, Yan D, Zheng QY Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common form of deaf-blindness in humans. Molecular characterization revealed that the USH gene products form a macromolecular protein network in hair cells of the inner ear and in photoreceptor cells of the retina via binding to PDZ domains in the scaffold protein harmonin encoded by the Ush1c gene in mice and humans. Although several mouse mutants for the Ush1c gene have been described, we generated a targeted null mutation Ush1c mouse model in which the first four exons of the Ush1c gene were replaced with a reporter gene. Here, we assessed the expression pattern of the reporter gene under control of Ush1c regulatory elements and characterized the phenotype of mice defe...

Second dose of gene therapy for inherited blindness proves safe in animal studies

ScienceDaily Headlines — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:31:32 +0100

A research team that conducted the gene therapy trial for an inherited blindness reports that a study in animals has shown that a second injection of genes into the opposite, previously untreated eye is safe and effective, with no signs of interference from unwanted immune reactions following the earlier injection. These new findings suggest that patients who benefit from gene therapy in one eye may experience similar benefits from treatment in the other eye. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Machine 'zaps migraines away'

NHS News Feed — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:48:00 +0100

Conclusion This well-conducted, double-blind, randomised controlled trial has found promising results when using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) to treat people who frequently suffer from migraine with visual aura. Within two hours of the onset of symptoms, more people were pain-free when using the handheld device than those who had used an identical ‘sham’ device. Although the study has reliable results, there are a couple of things to consider when putting these findings into context: This was a phase 2 trial, which has so far compared sTMS only with no treatment in a relatively small number of people (164 completed the study). Results will need follow-up in larger phase 3 trials that compare sTMS to other active treatments for migraine (eg actual drugs rath...

Ocular manifestations of sickle cell disease.

Annals of Tropical Paediatrics — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:32:03 +0100

Authors: Fadugbagbe AO, Gurgel RQ, Mendonça CQ, Cipolotti R, Dos Santos AM, Cuevas LE Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic disease worldwide. The increase in life expectancy of SCD patients in recent years has led to the emergence of more complications of the disease, e.g. ocular, which in the past were uncommon. This review describes current knowledge of the ocular manifestations of patients with SCD. SCD can affect virtually every vascular bed in the eye and can cause blindness in the advanced stages. The most significant ocular changes are those which occur in the fundus, which can be grouped into proliferative sickle retinopathy, and non-proliferative retinal changes based on the presence of vascular proliferation. This distinction is important because the form...

Also In Global Health News: U.S. Ambassador To U.N.; Male Circumcision; River Blindness In Ecuador; Nursing Shortage In Caribbean; Maternal Health

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0100

U.S. Ambassador To U.N. In Geneva Assumes Position, Ending 13 Month Vacancy Betty King reported to her new position as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. "Washington's Geneva mission had been without an ambassador since Warren W. Tichenor left his post on Jan. 20, 2009 - when Barack Obama was sworn in as president," according to the news service (3/3)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Also In Global Health News: U.S. Ambassador To U.N.; Male Circumcision; River Blindness In Ecuador; Nursing Shortage In Caribbean; Maternal Health

Sexual Health / STDs News From Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0100

U.S. Ambassador To U.N. In Geneva Assumes Position, Ending 13 Month Vacancy Betty King reported to her new position as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. "Washington's Geneva mission had been without an ambassador since Warren W. Tichenor left his post on Jan... (Source: Sexual Health / STDs News From Medical News Today)

Second Dose Of Gene Therapy For Inherited Blindness Proves Safe In Animal Study

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Second Dose Of Gene Therapy For Inherited Blindness Proves Safe In Animal Study

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Gene therapy for a severe inherited blindness, which produced dramatic improvements last year in 12 children and young adults who received the treatment in a clinical trial, has cleared another hurdle. The same research team that conducted the human trial now reports that a study in animals has shown that a second injection of genes into the opposite, previously untreated eye is safe and effective, with no signs of interference from unwanted immune reactions following the earlier injection... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Advanced Cell Technology's RPE Cells Granted Orphan Drug Status From FDA For Treatment Of Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTCBB: ACTC), a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation for the company's MA09-hRPE cells for use in the treatment of Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD). As a result, the company is eligible to receive a number of benefits, including tax credits, access to grant funding for clinical trials, accelerated FDA approval and allowance for marketing exclusivity after drug approval for a period of as long as seven years... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Advanced Cell Technology's RPE Cells Granted Orphan Drug Status From FDA For Treatment Of Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100

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Statement from Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, during World Glaucoma Week, March 7-13, 2010

National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0100

Glaucoma is one of the world's leading causes of vision loss and blindness. Vision organizations around the globe highlight this disease as a research and public health priority during World Glaucoma Week. The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to supporting research that will identify risk factors for the condition and develop treatments to preserve the sense of sight. (Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases)

Sunridge Receives Approval For Its Non-Invasive Glaucoma Treatment In China

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Sunridge International (OTC Bulletin Board: SNDZ), announced that China's State Food and Drug Administration, (SFDA), had approved the firm's Pneumatic Trabeculoplasty (PNT) treatment in China. In making the announcement today, Sunridge International's CEO, G. Richard Smith, said that the SFDA approval marked a major step forward for the company which would, hopefully, bring with it added relief to the glaucoma sufferers in China... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Sunridge Receives Approval For Its Non-Invasive Glaucoma Treatment In China

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Blindness may Start in the Brain

Medical Headlines From Ivanhoe.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, but now researchers are one step closer to understanding the disease. (Source: Medical Headlines From Ivanhoe.com)

What is Sensory Processing Disorder and How Is It Related to Autism?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:46:42 +0100

Earlier this week, there was an article in The Boston Globe about sensory processing disorder. It stated that a group of researchers, families, and occupational therapists is aggressively lobbying to get sensory processing disorder included in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is currently being drafted.Many readers may wonder, what is a sensory processing disorder?Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with processing information from the five senses: vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste, as well as from the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception). For those with SPD, sensory information is sensed, but perceived abnormally. Unlike blindness or deafn...

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Weighing Risks and Benefits of Liraglutide -- The FDA's Review of a New Antidiabetic Therapy

New England Journal of Medicine — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Type 2 diabetes mellitus affects approximately 24 million people in the United States, is the leading cause of kidney failure and blindness, and is associated with a doubling to quadrupling ... (Source: New England Journal of Medicine)

[Methods for estimating personal costs of disease using retinal diseases as an example.]

Der Ophthalmologe — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Prevention or delay of visual disability and blindness caused by AMD or other retinal diseases and thus ensuring independence is not only relevant from a medical perspective but also from a health economic perspective. Against the background of a relative shortage of resources, costs should be reduced regardless of whether they are personal or societal costs. PMID: 20195614 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Der Ophthalmologe)

Looking without seeing or seeing without looking? Eye movements in sustained inattentional blindness.

Vision Research — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Beanland V, Pammer K Inattentional blindness (IB) describes the failure to notice salient but unexpected stimuli when attention is partially engaged by another task. Few studies have explicitly investigated the role of eye movements in IB and the relative contributions of overt and covert attention. We recorded eye movements in a series of IB experiments using dynamic stimuli. Results indicate that eye movements do not predict IB; noticers and nonnoticers were equally likely to fixate on or near the unexpected item, often for similar durations. Perceptual load also determines whether observers will fixate the unexpected object. In a high perceptual load task, IB was high (81%) and most participants did not allocate overt attention to the unexpected object. Under lower perceptu...

Early Signs Of Glaucoma Discovered In The Brain

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Researchers at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute are now a step closer to deciphering a leading cause of blindness in the United States - glaucoma. In a recent study, David Calkins, Ph.D., director of Research at the VEI, discovered that the first sign of injury in glaucoma actually occurs in the brain. Glaucoma is generally considered a disease of the eye in which sensitivity to ocular pressure causes damage to the retina and optic nerve, which are components of the central nervous system and do not regenerate... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Early Signs Of Glaucoma Discovered In The Brain

Neurology / Neuroscience News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0100

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Short- And Long-Term Promise From Newer Cornea Transplant Surgery

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

One year post-surgery, patients who underwent Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) experienced greater cell loss overall compared to those who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), according to a new analysis of data collected from the Cornea Donor Study (CDS) Investigator Group's 2008 Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study (SMAS). However, the study, published in the March issue of Ophthalmology, showed that cell loss in DSAEK patients plateaued more quickly than in those who underwent PKP... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Short- And Long-Term Promise From Newer Cornea Transplant Surgery

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0100

One year post-surgery, patients who underwent Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) experienced greater cell loss overall compared to those who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), according to a new analysis of data collected from the Cornea Donor Study (CDS) Investigator Group's 2008 Specular Microscopy Ancillary Study (SMAS)... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

World Glaucoma Week

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) joins eye health organizations and eyecare professionals worldwide for World Glaucoma Week, March 7 to 13, 2010. The observation is designed to spread awareness and understanding about the importance of early detection of glaucoma, the world's second leading cause of blindness - and the leading cause of blindness in African Americans... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Women's Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked To Cataracts; Smoking May Raise Uveitis Risk

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Intriguing findings on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cataract risk, and on smoking and uveitis risk are reported in this month's Ophthalmology,the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Does HRT Use Raise Women's Cataract Risk? An eight-year prospective study of more than 30,000 postmenopausal Swedish women found that those who were using or had used HRT had significantly higher rates of cataract removal compared with women who had never used HRT. Alcohol consumption seemed to increase HRT's harmful effect. The HRT study was led by Birgitta E... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Women's Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked To Cataracts; Smoking May Raise Uveitis Risk

Endocrinology News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

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World Glaucoma Week

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Earlier Introduction To Long Cane Benefits Visually Impaired Children

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

AER Journal When "T" started kindergarten, she was an independent, confident child who was fully able to move about in her new environment even though she was the only visually impaired child in her school and used a long cane. T was born in 2003 with Leber's congenital amaurosis, a rare inherited eye disease, and has no light perception. She was introduced to the long cane at the early age of 14 months to foster her independence of mobility and functioning... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Quark Announces Dosing Of The First Patient In Phase I Clinical Trial Of Its Ocular Neuroprotective Agent, QPI-1007

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, announced the dosing of the first patient in a Phase I study of the investigational neuroprotective agent, QPI-1007. This drug candidate, having a proprietary siRNA structure, is being developed for the treatment of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). The current trial represents the seventh clinical study of Quark synthetic siRNAs... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Earlier Introduction To Long Cane Benefits Visually Impaired Children

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

AER Journal When "T" started kindergarten, she was an independent, confident child who was fully able to move about in her new environment even though she was the only visually impaired child in her school and used a long cane. T was born in 2003 with Leber's congenital amaurosis, a rare inherited eye disease, and has no light perception... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

Quark Announces Dosing Of The First Patient In Phase I Clinical Trial Of Its Ocular Neuroprotective Agent, QPI-1007

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, announced the dosing of the first patient in a Phase I study of the investigational neuroprotective agent, QPI-1007. This drug candidate, having a proprietary siRNA structure, is being developed for the treatment of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

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Brain holds early signs of glaucoma

ScienceDaily Headlines — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Researchers are now a step closer to deciphering a leading cause of blindness in the United States -- glaucoma. They found that the first sign of injury in glaucoma actually occurs in the brain. The findings show that glaucoma is very much like other neurodegenerative central nervous system diseases. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Vision and Dementia

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:07:13 +0100

Source: HealthDay - Related MedlinePlus Pages: Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Seniors' Health, Vision Impairment and Blindness (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Iopromide: Transient cortical blindness?: case report

Reactions — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:50:10 +0100

(Source: Reactions)

Endemic Trachoma Still A Major Problem In Indigenous Communities, Australia

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0100

Blinding endemic trachoma remains a major public health problem in many Indigenous communities, despite the knowledge that has been gathered about its control since the 1930s, according to the authors of a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Prof Hugh Taylor, Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous Eye Health at the University of Melbourne, and his co-authors conducted a national, random cluster sample survey of eye health in Indigenous children (5-15 years) and adults (40 years and older) in 30 communities across Australia... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Endemic Trachoma Still A Major Problem In Indigenous Communities, Australia

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0100

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Brain holds early signs of glaucoma

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Vanderbilt University Medical Center) Researchers are now a step closer to deciphering a leading cause of blindness in the United States -- glaucoma. David Calkins, Ph.D., director of Research at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, and colleagues report this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the first sign of injury in glaucoma actually occurs in the brain. The findings show that glaucoma is very much like other neurodegenerative central nervous system diseases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Diabetic Retinopathy: An Update on Treatment

The American Journal of Medicine — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract: Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive disease that results from vascular injury due to chronic hyperglycemia. It is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults in the US and is usually asymptomatic until late stages. Treatment with laser photocoagulation is effective at preventing severe vision loss; thus, diabetic patients should be referred for regular screening by an ophthalmologist. New inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor may provide targeted nonsurgical treatment to improve vision in diabetic retinopathy. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine)

Treat Oligoarthritis to Prevent Limb Shortening

Family Practice News — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — There is only one cause of joint inflammation in childhood that the child will typically outgrow: true oligoarthritis. Even though the inflammation will eventually pass, affected children still need treatment to prevent limb-length discrepancy or blindness resulting from uveitis, according to Dr. Thomas J.A. Lehman. (Source: Family Practice News)

New Building At University Of Michigan Health System Expands Eye Care, Unites Diabetes Researchers

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

On March 1, the first eye patients will enter an innovative new $132 million facility that expands the University of Michigan Health System's capacity for eye care, research and education, and unites diabetes researchers as they work to accelerate the search for a cure and prevention of diabetes. The Brehm Tower at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center Complex includes 230,000 square feet spanning eight stories and makes a striking addition to the skyline of the medical campus. It is adjacent to the existing Kellogg Eye Center research tower on Wall Street in Ann Arbor built in 1985... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

New Building At University Of Michigan Health System Expands Eye Care, Unites Diabetes Researchers

Diabetes News From Medical News Today — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

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American Council of the Blind 2010 Scholarship

ScanGrants feed — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The American Council of the Blind scholarship application process must be completed online. Only approved supplements will be accepted by regular mail. See the mailing address below for submission of the supporting documents. Incomplete forms will not be processed and considered for review. Please do not leave any questions blank.Include the following with your completed application:1. Autobiographical sketch (details found in online application)2. Certification of legal blindness from an ophthalmologist, optometrist or physician. (This hard copy letter may be mailed.)3. Certified transcripts from the school you are currently attending. Entering freshmen and sophomores, please include high school transcripts; graduate students, please include undergraduate transcripts. Unless extenuating ...

Simple home saliva test that tells your risk of going blind

the Mail online | Health — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:00:35 +0100

An at-home genetic test that predicts the risk of macular degeneration could motivate thousands of people to take measures to avoid blindness. (Source: the Mail online | Health)

Unreason marches on | Henry Miller

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

As celebrities endorse nonsensical diets and journalists lend credence to anecdote over science, are we heading for disaster?Will anecdote, rumor and buzz oust science as the basis for individual decision-making and public policy? If so, will it give rise to societal disintegration and disaster? Climate historian and physicist Spencer Weart thinks it's possibleWeart mused recently on what a historian 200 years from now might say about early 21st century discussions of climate change, but his speculations are also relevant to other areas of science.Weart predicted that a future historian might conclude: "The media coverage [of East Anglia Unversity's controversial climate change emails] represented a new low ... As we know, the repetition of allegations is sufficient to make them stick in t...

Unreason marches on

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0100

[The IOL-Vip system : Principles and clinical application.]

Der Ophthalmologe — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Khoramnia R, von Mohrenfels CW, Salgado JP, Schweiger B, Engel M, Hadeler J, Lohmann CP There are various retinal disorders that cause macular degeneration. However, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the main cause of legal blindness in developed countries. Even today the end stage of this disease can often not be avoided. Patients suffer from central scotoma and severe vision loss. Low vision aids may help in certain situations, but these devices are often functionally and cosmetically inadequate. The implantation of the IOL-Vip system is a new surgical alternative. The lens system consists of a high negative power lens (-64 D) which is implanted in the capsular bag and a high positive power lens (+53 D) which is implanted in the anterior chamber. An intraocular Gali...

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Anti-tumor immune response correlates with neurological symptoms in a dog with spontaneous astrocytoma treated by gene and vaccine therapy.

Vaccine — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Pluhar GE, Grogan PG, Seiler C, Goulart M, Santacruz KS, Carlson C, Chen W, Olin MR, Lowenstein PR, Castro MG, Haines SJ, Ohlfest JR Gene therapy and vaccination have been tested in malignant glioma patients with modest, albeit encouraging results. The combination of these therapies has demonstrated synergistic efficacy in murine models but has not been reported in large animals. Gemistocytic astrocytoma (GemA) is a low-grade glioma that typically progresses to lethal malignancy despite conventional therapies. Until now there has been no useful animal model of GemA. Here we report the treatment of a dog with spontaneous GemA using the combination of surgery, intracavitary adenoviral interferon gamma (IFNgamma) gene transfer, and vaccination with glioma cell lysates mixed with ...

A Tale of Two Systems: Health Reform in China and the United States

Ophthalmology — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:06:20 +0100

The 9-province survey of Zhao et al, provides new evidence of the burden of vision disability facing rural China. The prevalence of presenting blindness among persons 50 years of age and older exceeds 2%, while 1 in 10 persons are visually impaired. Mild impairment, in the range of 20/40 to 20/63, is of increasing importance in an age when the ability to drive and read a computer screen are requirements of day-to-day life for many Chinese citizens; more than a quarter of persons in the economic vanguard Guangdong province suffer from such impairment. Women and those without formal education are at the highest risk for all levels of visual disability. (Source: Ophthalmology)

Community rehabilitation of disabled with a focus on blind persons: Indian perspective

Indian Journal of Ophthalmology — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:05:53 +0100

Jose R, Sachdeva SandeepIndian Journal of Ophthalmology 2010 58(2):137-142India, the largest democratic country in the world, is marching ahead strongly on the growth and developmental front and is poised to be the leader in the market economy. This role creates and increases far greater responsibilities on us in ensuring that the benefit of the developmental cycle reaches each and every citizen of this country, including the able and the disabled ones. It has been enshrined in the Constitution of India to ensure equality, freedom, justice, and dignity of all individuals and implicitly mandates an inclusive society. With increase in consideration of quality parameters in all spheres of life including availability, access, and provision of comprehensive services to the disabled, it is perti...

Phrynoderma and night blindness

Indian Journal of Ophthalmology — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:05:53 +0100

Murthy Sowmya Raveendra, Prabhakaran Venkatesh CIndian Journal of Ophthalmology 2010 58(2):175-176 (Source: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology)

Withaferin A Targets Intermediate Filaments Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Vimentin in a Model of Retinal Gliosis [Protein Synthesis and Degradation]

Journal of Biological Chemistry — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:42:05 +0100

Gliosis is a biological process that occurs during injury repair in the central nervous system and is characterized by the overexpression of the intermediate filaments (IFs) glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin. A common thread in many retinal diseases is reactive Müller cell gliosis, an untreatable condition that leads to tissue scarring and even blindness. Here, we demonstrate that the vimentin-targeting small molecule withaferin A (WFA) is a novel chemical probe of GFAP. Using molecular modeling studies that build on the x-ray crystal structure of tetrameric vimentin rod 2B domain we reveal that the WFA binding site is conserved in the corresponding domain of tetrameric GFAP. Consequently, we demonstrate that WFA covalently binds soluble recombinant tetrameric human ...

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Stem Cells Restore Sight In Mouse Model Of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

An international research team led by Columbia University Medical Center successfully used mouse embryonic stem cells to replace diseased retinal cells and restore sight in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. This strategy could potentially become a new treatment for retinitis pigmentosa, a leading cause of blindness that affects approximately one in 3,000 to 4,000 people, or 1.5 million people worldwide. The study appears online ahead of print in the journal Transplantation (March 27, 2010 print issue). Specialized retinal cells called the retinal pigment epithelium maintain vision... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Stem Cells Restore Sight In Mouse Model Of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

What Is Long-sightedness Or Farsightedness? What Is Hyperopia?

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Hyperopia, also called farsightedness (far-sightedness), long-sightedness (longsightedness) or hypermetropia is a common vision defect in which the individual has difficulty focusing on near objects. In extreme cases of hyperopia the person can only focus on objects that are fairly far away - in very extreme cases focusing properly is not possible at any distance... (Source: Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today)

Note Congressional Aspartame Testimony (Opinion)

NaturalNews.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) Despite all the information concerning the adverse effects of aspartame and the endless trail of money and corruption by Searle Pharmaceutical and Donald Rumsfeld, this synthetic, artificial sweetener is still touted as the panacea to sugar. To send a loud and clear message to those who care little for the health of the people and more about the money generated from aspartame`s sale, there was a hearing in Hawaii to ban it. The following is testimony given at that hearing at our Capitol in Honolulu.TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB2680: TO BAN THE USE OF ASPARTAMEFor Hearing in Room #16, 1:15 P. M. MONDAY, 02/25/08PLEASE COPY AS COMMITTEE HANDOUT FOR THIS HEARINGTO: MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEENo doubt you will be lobbied by the big soda companies, the MSG using companies and oth...

Presentation of glaucoma in an urban tertiary care hospital in South America: legal blindness and prevalence

International Ophthalmology — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:55:15 +0100

Conclusion: A considerable rate of patients (almost 60% in the better-seeing eye and 70% in the worse-seeing eye) presented with advanced glaucoma. Strategies that create conditions for early diagnosis are deemed necessary to reduce glaucoma-related blindness in the Brazilian population. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original PaperDOI 10.1007/s10792-010-9355-2Authors Tammy Hentona Osaki, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Hospital Department of Ophthalmology R. Vergueiro, 2045 cj 1009 04101-000 Sao Paulo SP BrazilNiro Kasahara, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Hospital Department of Ophthalmology R. Vergueiro, 2045 cj 1009 04101-000 Sao Paulo SP BrazilMauricio Della Paolera, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo Hos...

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Academy Provides Membership To Haitian Ophthalmologists To Help Rebuild Eye Care

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0100

In light of the recent tragedy in Haiti, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) has granted complimentary membership for 2010 and 2011 for all Haitian ophthalmologists. Their membership in the Academy offers a wealth of educational benefits, including waived registration for the annual meeting, online subscriptions to Ophthalmology as well as EyeNet Magazine, access to the Ophthalmic News and Education (O.N.E.™) Network, and a worldwide community of over 29,000 ophthalmologists... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Academy Provides Membership To Haitian Ophthalmologists To Help Rebuild Eye Care

Eye Health / Optometry News From Medical News Today — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Repositioning of an existing drug for the neglected tropical disease Onchocerciasis [Chemistry]

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:51:49 +0100

Onchocerciasis, or river blindness, is a neglected tropical disease caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus that affects more than... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

Stem cells restore sight in mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Columbia University Medical Center) An international research team led by Columbia University Medical Center successfully used mouse embryonic stem cells to replace diseased retinal cells and restore sight in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. This strategy could potentially become a new treatment for retinitis pigmentosa, a leading cause of blindness that affects approximately one in 3,000 to 4,000 people, or 1.5 million people worldwide. The study appears online ahead of print in the journal Transplantation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Vision Problems Linked to Higher Dementia Risk

MedlinePlus Health News — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:13:48 +0100

Elderly adults with poor vision, particularly untreated vision problems, may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with better vision, a new study suggests. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Vision Impairment and Blindness (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

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Making those who cannot see look best: Effects of visual resume formatting on ratings of job applicants with blindness.

Rehabilitation Psychology — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:47:20 +0100

Conclusion: Because human resource managers severely penalize applicants who do not attend to visual, nonfunctional resume presentation, applicants who cannot see are apt to find themselves disadvantaged in the hiring process. The implications of these findings for organizations, job seekers, and rehabilitation professionals are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Rehabilitation Psychology)

Sight savers: New weapons trained on blindness

New Scientist - Genetics — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:49:32 +0100

Macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in the west – but a host of pioneering therapies that exploit the eye's unique structure could change that (Source: New Scientist - Genetics)

Sight savers: New weapons trained on blindness

New Scientist - Health — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:49:31 +0100

Green Tea May Protect Against Eye Diseases

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0100

New research from Hong Kong suggests that green tea may protect against eye diseases such as glaucoma because the researchers found green tea antioxidants called catechins present in various tissue structures in the eyes of laboratory rats after they had ingested green tea... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Green Tea May Protect Against Eye Diseases

Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0100

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50 Years Ago in The Journal of Pediatrics: Testicular Feminization and Color Blindness

The Journal of Pediatrics — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:34:55 +0100

RJ Blattner. J Pediatr 1960;56:425-7 A comprehensive description of the clinical manifestations of resistance to androgens was first provided in 1953 by John Morris, who coined the term “testicular feminization.” Seven years later, Blattner used the same term in the title of his comments on this disorder of sex development. In the past few years, most clinicians have abandoned the term “testicular feminization” and adopted the term “complete androgen insensitivity syndrome” (CAIS), which more accurately reflects the pathophysiology of this disorder and is less controversial and disturbing to patients and families. In his article, Blattner correctly describes the physical characteristics of a woman with CAIS (normal breast development, absent or scant pubic and axillary hair, b...

Dendritic cell physiology and function in the eye

Immunological Reviews — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Summary: The eye and the brain are immunologically privileged sites, a property previously attributed to the lack of a lymphatic circulation. However, recent tracking studies confirm that these organs have good communication through classical site-specific lymph nodes, as well as direct connection through the blood circulation with the spleen. In addition, like all tissues, they contain resident myeloid cell populations that play important roles in tissue homeostasis and the response to foreign antigens. Most of the macrophage and dendritic cell (DC) populations in the eye are restricted to the supporting connective tissues, including the cornea, while the neural tissue (the retina) contains almost no DCs, occasional macrophages (perivascularly distributed), and a specialized myeloid cell ...

What's "inattentional" about inattentional blindness?

Consciousness and Cognition — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Most SB In a recent commentary, Memmert critiqued claims that attentional misdirection is directly analogous to inattentional blindness (IB) and cautioned against assuming too close a similarity between the two phenomena. One important difference highlighted in his analysis is that most lab-based inductions of IB rely on the taxing of attention through a demanding primary task, whereas attentional misdirection typically involves simply the orchestration of spatial attention. The present commentary argues that, rather than reflecting a complete dissociation between IB and attentional misdirection, this difference highlights potential grounds for delineating mechanistically distinct forms of IB: spatial inattentional blindness, which stems from the covert misallocation of spatia...

VEGF Trap-Eye Shows Positive Results In Phase II Study In Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Bayer HealthCare AG and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: REGN) announced that VEGF Trap-Eye showed positive results in a Phase II study in patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). The primary endpoint of the study, a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity over 24 weeks compared to the standard of care in DME, macular laser treatment, was met. Visual acuity improvement was measured by the mean number of letters gained over the initial 24 weeks of the study... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

VEGF Trap-Eye Shows Positive Results In Phase II Study In Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetes News From Medical News Today — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:00:00 +0100

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Neuroprotection for treatment of glaucoma in adults.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:58:05 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Although neuroprotective agents are intended to act as pharmacological antagonists to prevent cell death, the evidence that they are effective in preventing retinal ganglion cell death, and thus preserving vision in patients with OAG, has not been demonstrated. Long-term RCTs are needed to determine whether or not neuroprotective agents may be beneficial for individuals with OAG. PMID: 20166085 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)

New Evidence That Green Tea May Help Fight Glaucoma And Other Eye Diseases

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea - renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties - do penetrate into tissues of the eye. Their new report, the first documenting how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances, raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases. It appears in ACS's bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

New Evidence That Green Tea May Help Fight Glaucoma And Other Eye Diseases

Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

Scientists have confirmed that the healthful substances found in green tea - renowned for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties - do penetrate into tissues of the eye. Their new report, the first documenting how the lens, retina, and other eye tissues absorb these substances, raises the possibility that green tea may protect against glaucoma and other common eye diseases... (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today)

A tissue-engineered approach towards retinal repair: Scaffolds for cell transplantation to the subretinal space

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:42:27 +0100

Conclusions The transplantation of cells within a scaffold represents a possible treatment to repair retinal degeneration and restore vision in effected patients. Materials have been developed for the delivery of retinal and RPE cells separately however, the development of a combined tissue-engineered scaffold targeting both cell populations represents a promising direction for retinal repair. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Review ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00417-009-1263-7Authors Sara Royce Hynes, Yale University Department of Biomedical Engineering New Haven CT 06520 USAErin B. Lavik, Case Western Reserve University Department of Biomedical Engineering Cleveland OH 44106 USA Journal Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental OphthalmologyOnline ISSN 143...

Critical step in fly vision discovered; offers clues to treating retinal degeneration in humans

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100

Research by sensory biologists studying fruit flies has revealed a critical step in fly vision. Humans with problems in this same step suffer retinal dystrophies, which manifest as visual defects ranging from mild visual impairments to complete blindness. The article paves the way for using the fruit fly to screen for therapies to treat human retinal degeneration. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Cerebral palsy in siblings caused by compound heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding protein C

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This report adds to the list of known monogenic causes of CP. (Source: Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology)

Yale to host Unite For Sight conference in April

Yale School of Medicine Announcements — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:35:29 +0100

Unite For Sight, a New Haven-based global nonprofit that aims to combat blindness around the world, will host a Global Health & Innovation Conference April 17 – 18 at Yale. The conference will convene more than 2,200 students and professionals from 55 countries who are interested in issues related to global health and development and related issues. It will feature more than 200 speakers, including keynote addresses by Seth Godin, Jacqueline Novogratz, Jeffrey Sachs, and Sonia Sachs. Registration information, a conference schedule, and more is available at www.uniteforsight.org/conference. (Source: Yale School of Medicine Announcements)

All Eyes on Retinal Degeneration-2/16/10

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:26:55 +0100

Research by Johns Hopkins sensory biologists studying fruit flies, has revealed a critical step in fly vision. Humans with problems in this same step suffer retinal dystrophies, which manifest as visual defects ranging from mild visual impairments to complete blindness. The article, published Jan. 26 in Current Biology paves the way for using the fruit fly to screen for therapies to treat human retinal degeneration. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Retrospective analysis of orbital floor fractures—complications, outcome, and review of literature

Clinical Oral Investigations — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:30:11 +0100

This study comprised 189 patients who underwent surgery for fractures of the orbital floor between 2003 and 2007. Diagnosis and treatment were based on both physical examination and computed tomography scan of the orbit. Patients were retrospectively analyzed for data, such as mechanism of injury, classification of fracture, and complications. The most common cause of injury was physical assault followed by traffic accidents. Surgery was conducted with a mean delay of 2.9 days after the incident. Mid lower eyelid incision was the most common surgical approach to the orbital floor. For orbital floor reconstruction, polydioxanone sheets (70.5%) were mainly used, followed by Ethisorb Dura (23.3%) and titanium mesh (6.2%). There were 19.0% of patients who showed postoperative compl...