A new discovery by a University of Maryland-led research team offers hope for treating “lazy eye” and other serious visual problems that are usually permanent unless they are corrected in early childhood. Amblyopia afflicts about three percent of the …
Author: Medical News Today
Our eyes originated half a billion years ago
Eyes are amazing and technical organs, precious to each individual. But how did the human eye develop? According to a review of the evidence, it stems back to fish more than 500 million years ago…
High pain sensitivity and low pain tolerance appear to be associated with symptoms of dry eye disease
High pain sensitivity and low pain tolerance appear to be associated with symptoms of dry eye disease (DED), adding to previous associations of the severity of tear insufficiency, cell damage, and psychological factors, according to a study by Jelle Ve…
Improving results of cataract surgery by looking at outcomes important to patients
Special issue of Optometry and Vision Science focuses on patient-reported outcome measures Cataract surgery can lead to good results from a clinical standpoint yet have poor outcomes from the patient’s point of view, reports a study, “Analyzing Patient…
Schizophrenia affected by ‘poor ability to track moving objects’
Impaired eye movements could play a part in the symptoms of schizophrenia, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers form the University of British Columbia tracked the eye movements of patients with schizophrenia whil…
Dry eye sufferers benefit from supplement with omega fatty acids
Study findings published online, ahead of print, in Cornea show that daily dietary supplementation with a unique combination of omega fatty acids (GLA, EPA and DHA) for six months is effective in improving ocular irritation symptoms and halting the pro…
NICE gives green light to treatment for wet AMD in final guidance
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance recommending aflibercept solution for injection as an option for treating wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD is an eye condition that affects the…
Gene expression in the human retina
Investigators at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have published the most thorough description of gene expression in the human retina reported to date. In a study published in the journal BMC Genomics, Drs. Michael Farkas, Eric Pier…
Future blindness cure? Stem cell success in lab
Scientists are one step closer to curing blindness, after they carried out the first successful transplant of light-sensitive photoreceptor cells from a synthetic retina that was grown from embryonic stem cells…
Socioeconomic Disparity Persists In Use Of Eye Care Services Among U.S. Adults With Age-Related Eye Diseases
Significant differences in the use of eye care services by socioeconomic position (SEP) persist among U.S. adults with eye diseases, according to a report published by JAMA Ophthalmology, a JAMA Network publication…
Protein Responsible For ‘Bad’ Blood Vessel Growth Discovered
The discovery of a protein that encourages blood vessel growth, and especially ‘bad’ blood vessels – the kind that characterise diseases as diverse as cancer, age-related macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis – has been reported in the journal …
UK Festival-Goers Encouraged To Protect Their Eyes This Summer
The thousands of Brits taking advantage of the sun by visiting festivals this summer are being warned to protect their eyesight from over exposure to UV rays by independent opticians…
Astronomy Technology Used For Early Detection Of AMD – The Developed World’s Leading Cause Of Sight Loss
Engineers used to designing state of the art instruments for ground and space based telescopes are now applying their expertise to the development of a diagnostic test for the developed world’s most common form of sight loss in adults, Age-Related Macu…
Donating Eyes For Research
Far more people are willing to donate their eyes to research than actually are registered to donate, according to a study led by a Michigan State University student…
Lessons From Israel’s Healthcare System Could Optimize Eye Health Around The World
According to the World Health Organization, 80% of blindness is preventable or treatable – but it remains a severe health concern across the globe, even in industrialized countries. Now hope is on the horizon – especially if countries are willing to em…
Surgeons Save Teen’s Sight Using Pioneering Laser Surgery
UK eye surgeons have saved the sight of a 16-year-old boy using laser treatment inspired by “tongue and groove” floor boards. James Bowden was facing blindness after suffering from an eye condition called Keratoconus, which occurs when the cornea of t…
Genetic And Environmental Factors Appear Related To Comitant Strabismus, Study Suggests
Certain subgroups within the population appears to be at higher risk of developing comitant strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) and should be identified and monitored to allow for earlier detection, according to a study by Gail D. E. Maconachie, B.Me…
Foundation Fighting Blindness Presents Llura Liggett Gund Award To UF Researcher Targeting Vision-Saving Treatments And Cures
The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national non-profit organization dedicated to finding treatments and cures for blinding retinal diseases, recognizes William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D., of the University of Florida College of Medicine, with its Llura Ligg…
Device That Turns Sounds Into Images Offers New Alternative To Blind People
A device that trains the brain to turn sounds into images could be used as an alternative to invasive treatment for blind and partially-sighted people, researchers at the University of Bath have found. The vOICe sensory substitution device is a revolut…
News From The Annals Of Internal Medicine: 9 July 2013
1. Task force finds insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening for primary open-angle glaucoma The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screeni…