An international team of scientists investigated whether congenitally blind subjects experience pain differently than sighted individuals. Their results, published in the current issue of PAIN®, reveal compelling evidence that congenitally blind individuals are hypersensitive to pain caused by thermal stimuli…
Author: Medical News Today
Death of retinal ganglion cells suppressed by oligomeric proanthocyanidin
The death of retinal ganglion cells is a hallmark of many optic neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma and retinopathy. Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of cell death. A recent study, published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol…
How retinal neurons claim the best brain connections has implications for brain disease, regenerative therapies
Real estate agents emphasize location, location, and – once more for good measure – location. It’s the same in a developing brain, where billions of neurons vie for premium property to make connections. Neurons that stake out early claims often land th…
Identification of critical gene in retinal development and motion sensing
Our vision depends on exquisitely organized layers of cells within the eye’s retina, each with a distinct role in perception. Johns Hopkins researchers say they have taken an important step toward understanding how those cells are organized to produce …
Project in India could save the eyesight of thousands
Scientists from the University of Sheffield have partnered with a team in India for a project which could save the eyesight of thousands of people living in the South Asian country. As in most developing countries, corneal infection in India is a serio…
Special issue of Optometry and Vision Science highlights research advances in myopia
New research on myopia – how it develops, risk and protective factors, and potentially effective measures for prevention and treatment are reported across twenty articles in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health…
Around 50% of people can ‘see in the dark,’ study shows
When it comes to seeing in the dark, traditional belief is that humans are not able to. However, new research has challenged this, suggesting that at least 50% of all people are able to see the movement of their own hand, even in an environment that i…
Boosting bionic eyes with a gentle touch
Australian researchers from Monash University Gippsland say that combining sensory information may help improve the sight of people receiving visual prosthetics. They claim that by stimulating the senses of “touch” and “vision” at the same time, the b…
“Smart glasses” with new object recognition technology will help registered blind people navigate unfamiliar places
A pair of “smart glasses” could help registered blind and partially sighted people navigate public places by translating signs into audible speech. A Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation was awarded to Dr Stephen Hicks of the University of O…
‘Ancient brain’ helps us interpret edges
Scientists from Australia believe they have found the brain cells that recognize patterns. And, surprisingly, they were not in the “modern” part of the brain, but in the thalamus, or “ancient” brain. The findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscien…
Vision problems in young children accurately identified by portable vision screening devices
Portable screening devices allow pediatricians to successfully screen children for vision problems, including amblyopia, according to an abstract presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando. Appro…
NICE says yes to Lucentis for myopic CNV in fast tracked draft final guidance
In a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) published October 25, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that Lucentis® (ranibizumab) be approved for use within the NHS in England and Wales as an option to treat people with visual impairment due to choroidal neovascularisation associated with pathological myopia (myopic CNV)6…
In blind people, light helps activate the brain
Light enhances brain activity during a cognitive task even in some people who are totally blind, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The findings contribute to scientist…
Eye changes in mice after just 2 weeks in orbit
Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers from Houston Methodist, NASA Johnson Space Center, and two other institutions in the October 2013 issue of Gravitational and Space Re…
Robots enhance mobility for visually and physically impaired, improve treatment for atrial fibrillation
Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures. Funding for …
Blindness ‘could be prevented’ with new treatment
Researchers have revealed a new approach for treating human eye disease that has proved to be successful in preclinical studies. This is according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation…
Activation mechanism of a protective protein against cataracts resolved
The lens of the human eye is made up of a highly concentrated protein solution that imparts the eye its high refractive power. Yet, despite this high protein content the ocular lens must remain clear and transparent…
How and when the auditory system registers complex auditory-visual synchrony
Imagine the brain’s delight when experiencing the sounds of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” while simultaneously taking in a light show produced by a visualizer. A new Northwestern University study did much more than that…
Cataract treatment without surgery may lie in activating protective protein
The ability of the lens in the human eye to change focus relies on a dense formation of proteins that can result in clumps that cloud the lens and lead to cataracts – except for special protective proteins that prevent this. Now a team in Munich, Ger…
Adalimumab reduces inflammation in refractory pediatric uveitis
A new study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) suggests that the biologic agent adalimumab may be a viable treatment option for patients with steroid-resistant re…