General Vision and Eye News

LONDON, April 2008 — London surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital have successfully implanted devices that stimulate rudimentary sight within the inner back of the eye (retina) in two people blinded by an inherited eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa.

The devices, known as Argus II technology (Second Sight), include cameras and processing units that transmit signals wirelessly. The signals travel to electronic receivers and an electrode panel, which are implanted in the eye and attached to the retina where vision processing occurs.

Camera transmissions and electronic stimulation of the retina result in detection of basic light and shapes for people who otherwise are severely blind.

Second Sight, which developed the Argus II device, is based near Los Angeles.

DALLAS, April 2008 — Study results indicate that it's important for eyes to work normally together (binocular vision) so that infants can develop skills such as crawling and grasping, according to researchers at the Retina Foundation of Southwest Texas.

In the study, infants who underwent corrective surgery for misaligned eyes (strabismus) were found to "catch up" on development of motor skills that otherwise had been delayed.

Surgeries conducted to strengthen eye muscles were for a form of strabismus known as infantile esotropia, which can hamper development of depth perception. Researchers say these results may underscore the importance of early surgery for infants who have strabismus.

Study results were published in the April issue of Journal of AAPOS (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus).

NAPLES, Italy, April 2008 — Until recently, the idea of replacing faulty genes causing inherited eye diseases such as Stargardt's with "good" genes was not considered feasible because of the large size of the genes involved.

But researchers in Naples, Italy now say they have developed a vector, a way of delivering even large-sized genes into the eye through modification of a specific adeno-associated virus. The modified virus can carry information from good genes that then is transferred into the eye's affected cells, causing them to function normally.

Experiments using mouse eyes were conducted by Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine in Naples, Italy.

CHICAGO, April 2008 — If you have a personal story to tell about sacrifices made by you or a family member due to poor eye health, you might be eligible for a Prevent Blindness America contest that offers complimentary plane tickets as prizes.

Those interested in entering the "See America" contest can visit the Prevent Blindness America web site or call 1-800-331-2020 for rules and details. The grand prize includes four complimentary plane tickets to U.S. destinations of the winner's choice. The first runner-up will receive two complimentary plane tickets.

Contest participants also must describe where they would like to travel and why. The contest began April 14 and ends July 31.

Prevent Blindness America officials say the contest, conducted in cooperation with the Orbitz.com travel web site, was created to help increase public awareness of the importance of eye health and good vision.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, April 2008 — A study has found that therapies aimed at strengthening the weaker eye in amblyopia are more effective when vision screenings detect the problem in children before they reach age 2. Treatments are not as effective when amblyopia is first found in children between ages 2 to 4.

Archives of Ophthalmology in its April issue reported findings of an Alaska Blind Child Discovery organization's evaluation of vision screenings conducted among 21,367 Alaskan children between 1996 and 2006. In those screenings, 94 children tested positive for amblyopia before age 4 and received a minimum of two years of treatment.

The evaluation revealed that the 36 children screened before age 2 had better vision outcomes following treatment than the 58 children screened between ages 2 and 4.

MELBOURNE, Australia, April 2008 — Australian researchers say they have "busted" a myth that implies myopic people who wear eyeglasses are introverted nerds.

In a four-year study, investigators at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Eye Research teamed up with psychologists to evaluate 633 twins and 278 family members for traits such as openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

Results indicate that myopic people are no more likely to be introverted than anyone else. But they are slightly more likely to be agreeable.

STOCKHOLM, March 2008 — In some parts of the world, folk remedies call for using urine as eye drops to ward off eye diseases.

But one eye doctor from Durban, South Africa said at a recent conference that this practice has led to serious eye infections caused by adult gonococcal conjunctivitis, related to a sexually transmitted disease (gonorrhea).

Carina Slazus, MD, said she has seen cases where scarring of the eye's clear surface (cornea) has caused people to go blind. Slazus said it's important for eye doctors in areas of the world where urine-based eye drops are common to educate local healers about the potentially devastating effects of gonococcal conjunctivitis.

Comments made by Slazus at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons were published in the March issue of EuroTimes Magazine.

ST. LOUIS, March 2008 — Daily computer use consistently causes side effects such as dry eye, eye strain and light sensitivity, according to survey results announced by the American Optometric Association (AOA).

The AOA's 2007 Eye-Q survey and related marketing research show that 82 percent of Americans frequently use a computer or handheld device such as a PDA. Almost half spend three or more hours daily with such devices.

The AOA says most computer users (78 percent) fail to correctly position computer monitors below eye level, which can lead to various computer vision syndrome (CVS) problems and side effects such as neck and/or backache and fatigue.

Eye strain was a common complaint, with 41 percent of respondents reporting problems.

BETHESDA, Md., March 2008 — While most Americans rank going blind as one of the worst possible health problems, respondents in a major survey revealed that they knew very little about serious eye diseases that could rob them of sight.

A survey of 3,000 adults sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and Lions Club International Foundation found that:

• Only 8 percent knew that glaucoma has no early warning signs before vision is lost, which is why regular eye exams are important.
   
• Only 11 percent knew that diabetic retinopathy also has no early warning signs, although 51 percent were aware that diabetes can cause eye problems.
   
• Just 16 percent had heard of the term "low vision," which applies to people whose poor vision cannot be improved through conventional means such as glasses and contact lenses.

Of ethnic groups identified in the survey, Hispanics were the least informed, with 41 percent saying they had not seen or heard any eye health information within the previous year.

"Good eyesight is important to our quality of life, and it is essential for adults to have accurate information to help them make informed decisions about their eye health needs," said NEI director Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD. "These survey results will help us identify specific ways in which we can close the gap in knowledge about eye diseases and address the disparities that exist."

BEIJING, March 2008 — Chinese researchers say they have evidence contradicting the common notion that adults cannot benefit from "lazy eye" (amblyopia) treatments such as eye patching.

Laboratory tests at a Beijing hospital that were designed to strengthen the weaker or "lazy" eye in amblyopia resulted in successful treatments for most of 30 subjects, all 20 years old.

Study results were published March 3 in the PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Early Edition.

"Lazy eye" often is identified in young children who have a weaker eye that fails to "connect" properly to the brain to establish a fully developed vision system. A common remedy involves patching the stronger eye so that the weaker eye is strengthened or learns to see more clearly.

But eye doctors commonly have thought that these types of treatments cannot work for adults or for children older than 8 because vision systems were already set and could not be altered or "rewired."

SAN DIEGO, February 2008 — Young children with poor vision can significantly improve developmental testing scores when their vision is corrected with prescription eyeglasses.

This is according to a study published in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Skills such as visual-motor coordination among young children (ages 3-5) improved with appropriate vision correction, said Shiley Eye Center Director Stuart I. Brown, who also is chair of ophthalmology.

"This underscores the value of our county-wide program for screening and treating eye abnormalities in young children to ensure they have every opportunity to do well as they mature," Brown said.

BOSTON, February 2008 — Researchers say alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) found in fatty acids can be formulated as an eye drop to help relieve dry eye syndrome.

Different formulations of eye drops using fatty acids were applied in mouse eyes during studies by scientists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) and Schepens Eye Research Institute. Study results were published in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

"Using topical formulations of fatty acids to treat dry eye would allow for more flexibility for treatment, including lessening side effects that patients can experience from oral intake of fatty acids," said Harvard Medical School Professor Reza Dana, MD, who also is cornea service director for MEEI.

During experiments, researchers found that topical applications of ALA reversed symptoms as well as inflammatory changes associated with dry eye.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, January 2008 — All blue-eyed people have a common ancestor who acquired a genetic mutation 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, according to University of Copenhagen researchers.

"Originally, we all had brown eyes," said Hans Eiberg, associate professor from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology. "But a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a 'switch,' which literally turned off the ability to produce brown eyes."

Eiberg said other variations in eye color, from brown to green, can be explained by varying amounts of a pigment coloring the iris, known as melanin. But the blue-eyed color is associated specifically with the genetic "switch" that limits production of melanin in the eye.

BALTIMORE, January 2008 — Newly developed technology enables a pocket-sized, portable device to photograph printed materials, which then are read aloud via cell phone for the benefit of the blind or learning disabled.

The tiny text-to-speech reading device was developed by K-NFB Reading Technology Inc., a company formed from research and development efforts of the National Federation of the Blind and Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.

The new technology is combined with the Nokia N82 mobile phone to provide a complete unit.

"The knfbReader Mobile will allow the blind unprecedented access to the printed word, affording a level of flexibility and capability never before available," said National Federation of the Blind president Dr. Marc Maurer. "No other device in the history of technology has provided such portability and quick access to print materials."

CHICAGO, January 2008 — A specially developed, high-vitamin corn could help offset vitamin A deficiencies and associated blindness in developing countries, according to researchers at University of Illinois, where the corn was cultivated.

The specialty corn could have significant impact in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 30 percent of young children are vitamin A deficient, said officials from research funding agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation.

Scientists cultivated the corn by identifying genetic markers of precursors necessary for formation of vitamin A, a method described in the Jan. 18 edition of Science.

MINNEAPOLIS, January 2008 — A new technology called preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP) now helps eye doctors monitor possible progression of intermediate or "dry" macular degeneration so that proper treatment, if needed, can begin at an appropriate time.

Most cases of "dry" macular degeneration never progress to advanced forms that can cause blindness. But monitoring is needed to make sure treatment is started soon enough, if age related macular degeneration reaches an advanced or "wet" form.

Treatments do not exist for early or "dry" forms of macular degeneration. But early intervention with treatments for advanced forms of the eye disease can help stop or possibly reverse damage caused to the inner back of the eye (retina), where vision processing occurs.

This is why effective monitoring offered by the new PHP technology is important, according to company officials from Notal Vision that developed the Foresee PHP (marketed by MSS in the United States).

Reports indicate the Foresee PHP can detect early formation of scotomas or blind spots in the visual field, which can be markers of advancing macular degeneration.

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 2008 — Jan Marini Skin Research will no longer market its Age Intervention Eyelash lengthening product that contains a glaucoma medication, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets.

Company officials said the decision was based on conflicts with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and with Allergan, which has sued the cosmetics company and others for violation of its glaucoma drug patents.

The Wall Street Journal says Allergan also reportedly is developing its own eyelash lengthening product containing a glaucoma drug, Lumigan, which has the side effect of causing eyelash growth.

In November, the FDA seized about $2 million in Age Intervention Eyelash products because of potentially harmful consequences of using a glaucoma drug for cosmetic purposes, including less effective eye pressure control for those who have the eye disease.

WASHINGTON, December 2007 — The U.S. House of Representatives in late 2007 granted final approval and funding for the Vision Care for Kids Act, which would designate $65 million to help pay for eye exams and appropriate follow-up care for uninsured children.

The bill, backed by major optometry and ophthalmology organizations, also encourages public education programs and partnerships with non-profit organizations.

The bill in late 2007 was sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., December 2007 — Depression in nursing home residents can be reduced significantly when refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and presbyopia are corrected, according to study findings published in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

The report said nursing home residents are up to 15 times more likely to have uncorrected vision errors, compared with older people of similar ages who live in the community outside institutions. But when nursing home residents received appropriate vision correction such as eyeglasses, their quality of life improved and symptoms of depression declined.

"This study implies that there are significant, short-term quality-of-life and psychological benefits to providing the most basic of eye care services," said University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers.

[Read about tips for coping with vision loss.]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., December 2007 — Mandatory eye exams for children will begin Jan. 1 in Illinois, which is the third state along with Kentucky and Missouri to adopt the requirement for entering public schools.

Before a child entering public school for the first time in Illinois can be officially admitted, proof that an eye exam has been conducted must be submitted.

Eye doctors recommend eye exams for children entering school to help detect common conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, amblyopia and strabismus, which — when undetected — can greatly impact a child's academic performance.

"Requiring complete eye examinations for kids entering kindergarten or first grade will provide the opportunity for eye problems to be diagnosed and treated earlier," said Illinois state Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville, who sponsored the legislation.

Read more about mandatory eye exams for children.

ROCKVILLE, Md., November 2007 — U.S. marshals have seized about $2 million worth of Age Intervention Eyelash products containing a glaucoma medication that, when used improperly, could lead to damage of the eye's optic nerve and blindness.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials ordered the seizure of Age Intervention Eyelash products after learning that the product, marketed as a way to increase eyelash growth, contains bimatoprost. Bimatoprost is a glaucoma eye drop used to help control internal (intraocular) eye pressure; it also has the potential side effect of causing eyelash growth.

An FDA announcement says people who already take glaucoma medications and who use the Age Intervention Eyelash product may experience less effective control of eye pressure, leading to eye damage.

Side effects from use of the cosmetic product containing bimatoprost also can include eye inflammation (uveitis) and macular edema or swelling of the back inner lining of the eye (retina) where vision processing occurs.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., November 2007 — A recent nationwide survey reveals that about 32 percent of drivers report significant problems with seeing in darker conditions all or most of the time.

Kelton Research conducted the survey for Road & Travel Magazine and Acuvue Brand Contact Lenses, with findings that include:

• 26 percent of drivers have difficulty seeing highway signs and exits
   
• 20 percent struggle to see turns in the road
   
• 23 percent said driving confidence is low in darker conditions
   
• 22 percent have more problems judging distances
   
• 20 percent have significant problems seeing pedestrians and animals

Most survey participants said they thought proper vision correction would help them with their night driving. But many had never talked to an eye doctor about concerns and options.

[Read more about how drivers can cope with night vision problems.]
 

AUGUSTA, Ga., October 2007 — Medical College of Georgia researchers have found evidence that higher levels of an amino acid known as homocysteine may damage the eye's retina, where vision processing occurs.

Researchers say homocysteine levels are higher in people whose diets are deficient in folate, a B vitamin found in vegetables, fruits and grains.Folate combines with vitamin B12 to help convert homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine, which is essential for healthy functioning of cells.

Unusually high levels of homocysteine also are associated with increased risks of heart attack, stroke and dementia.

BALTIMORE, Md., October 2007 — A simple eye test known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) may help physicians identify and monitor multiple sclerosis, according to a Johns Hopkins Hospital study in which OCT was used to analyze thickness and health of the eye's optic nerve.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and accompanying symptoms such as muscle weakness and vision problems occur when the body's abnormal immune responses damage brain and nerve cells.

"With OCT we can see exactly how healthy these nerves are, potentially in advance of other symptoms," said Johns Hopkins neurologist Peter Calabresi, MD.

Calabresi also said an OCT eye exam involves only about one-tenth the cost and time of conducting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which typically is used to scan for signs of brain damage.

Researchers said the OCT test is designed to provide specific images of the eye's retinal nerve fiber layer, which is part of the brain. An MRI shows less specific changes to various kinds of tissue.

LONDON, September 2007 — Studies funded by Fight for Sight show that children with "lazy eye" (amblyopia) need only wear eye patches for about four hours daily to strengthen weaker eyes.

Researchers concluded that wearing eye patches from three to four hours daily was as effective for correcting amblyopia as wearing them for 12 hours, which commonly is recommended.

Study results were reported this month in the online version of British Medical Journal.

CHICAGO, September 2007 — Prevent Blindness America says most of more than 600,000 sports-related eye injuries that occur annually in America could be prevented with simple use of eye protection.

"Every 13 minutes, another emergency room treats a sports eye injury that could have easily been prevented," said Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent Blindness America. "Although eye injuries can occur at any age, it's young people who are the most at risk, making up 66 percent of all injuries."

Sports eye injuries can involve corneal abrasions, blunt trauma and eye penetration. In some cases, injuries can lead to blindness.

PITTSBURGH, August 2007 — Scientists at Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found that a common antibody type, known as gamma globulin, eliminates "pink eye" (conjunctivitis) without toxic effects associated with certain other types of investigational treatments.

Investigators said gamma globulin is "remarkably effective" at reducing the presence of adenovirus in eye fluids, an underlying cause of common but difficult-to-treat forms of conjunctivitis.

Gamma globulin has so many antimicrobial properties that it may be effective against numerous bacterial and viral causes of conjunctivitis, according to investigators.

Findings were published online in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, which will be published in print form in September.

TEL AVIV, August 2007 — Longer, sunnier days may contribute to development of severe nearsightedness in children born during summer months, according to Israeli researchers.

Study results published in the August issue of Ophthalmology showed that babies born in June and July had a 24 percent greater chance of becoming severely nearsighted than babies born in December and January.

Study co-author Michael Belkin, a professor at Tel Aviv University's Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, said one explanation may be that the body's pineal gland secretes less of a pigment known as melatonin in brighter conditions.

Melatonin regulates the body's "internal clock" and also affects eye length development in babies. When less melatonin is present, eye lengths are longer. Babies with longer eyes then typically become "nearsighted" or "shortsighted."

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., August 2007 — Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has reported study results showing that a formula (SRT501) using resveratrol injected into the eye appears to protect retinal nerve cells from damage associated with optic neuritis.

In nature, resveratrol can be found in the skins of red grapes and foods such as peanuts.

The resveratrol formula used in the animal study eventually may have broad applications for treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases including optic neuritis, according to a Sirtris company announcement. As an example, nerve cell loss and damage in optic neuritis can be an early symptom of multiple sclerosis — also caused by nerve damage.

Study results were reported in the August issue of The Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Journal.

SIDNEY, Australia, July 2007 — Death rates appear higher for people 49 and older who also have cataracts or macular degeneration, according to study results reported in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Australian study authors say it's unclear whether the link between a higher death rate and visual impairment could be due to underlying conditions that cause both accelerated aging and eye problems.

After assessing death rates of about 3,600 older individuals over an average 11-year period, researchers found that:

• Almost one-third of the study participants (28.9 percent) died.
   
• Among those who were 49 or older and had cataracts, 39.2 percent died versus 29.5 percent who did not have the condition.
   
• Among people of ages 49-74 who had macular degeneration, 45.8 percent died versus 33.7 percent in the same age group who did not have the eye disease.
   
• In total, 54 percent of people with either cataracts or macular degeneration died, versus 34 percent without visual impairment.
   

ROME, June 2007 — Most of us experience the occasional eye twitch, which generally is no big deal. But for some who can actually be blinded by extreme and uncontrolled eyelid spasms, coffee consumption may be an answer.

To those who get the jitters from coffee it may seem odd, but the beverage may help prevent eye twitches.

Drinking at least one or two cups of caffeinated coffee daily may help prevent or delay development of severe eye twitching known as blepharospasm, according to an Italian study reported in June in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Researchers reached this conclusion after surveying habits, including coffee drinking, of a group of 166 Italian hospital patients diagnosed with primary late onset blepharospasm. Answers were compared with those of control groups who were relatives of those surveyed or who had developed a different type of eyelid twitching known as hemifacial spasm.

BETHESDA, Md., June 2007 — Researchers from various clinical sites have found that increasing healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the diet of mice appears to reduce abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye's retina, a process associated with various retinal eye diseases.

Want a great natural source of omega-3 fatty acids? Try cold-water fish such as salmon.

Normal retinal blood vessel development can be compared with the eye of a child who has retinopathy of prematurity. The red spots represent abnormal blood vessel development and retinal eye disease. (Illustration courtesy of Kip Connor, PhD, Children's Hospital Boston)

The National Eye Institute says this potentially beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids may have implications for preventing or reducing eye damage associated with retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.

Common sources of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids include nuts, flaxseed oil and cold-water fish such as salmon.

Researchers in experimental results also found that higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty red meat, increased the possibility of abnormal blood vessel development in the eye's retina.

Mice used in the experiments that had higher levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids added to their diets had an almost 50 percent reduction in retinopathy. Study results were reported in the July 2007 issue of Nature Medicine journal.

JERUSALEM, June 2007 — Blind people demonstrate excellent memory skills particularly when recalling how things are ordered, according to Hebrew University researchers.

"Our opinion is that the superior serial memory of the blind is most likely a result of practice," said researcher Ehud Zohary. "In the absence of vision, the world is experienced as a sequence of events. Since the blind constantly use serial memory strategies in everyday circumstances, they tend to develop superior skills."

In a study reported in the June 21 issue of the online journal, Current Biology, researchers tested memory skills of 19 people who had been blind since birth.

CLEVELAND, June 2007 — DNA nanoparticles created by a research team at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center corrected vision defects associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in mice, according to an announcement by Copernicus Therapeutics Inc.

"These exciting results demonstrate that delivery of normal copies of genes into photoreceptor cells can correct vision defects in RP," said Mark Cooper, MD, senior vice president of science and medical affairs for the company.

Company officials say they now will investigate the possibility of using the gene therapy in human clinical trials.

Retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited condition that damages light-sensitive cells in the inner back of the eye (retina), affects about 70,000 U.S. residents.

PHILADELPHIA, April 2007 — University of Pennsylvania researchers report that vision loss related to multiple sclerosis is significantly reduced in people treated with the drug Tysabri (natalizumab).

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause inflammation and accompanying damage to fibers in the optic nerve, which transmits signals to the brain. In people diagnosed with MS and who took Tysabri, vision loss was reduced by as much as 47 percent.

Study results were published in the April 17 issue of Neurology.

STANFORD, Calif., April 2007 — A Stanford University ophthalmologist says eye diseases could have influenced unusual artistic effects such as the blurred scenes and muddy colors in certain paintings.

"The fact is that these artists weren't painting in this manner totally for artistic reasons," said Michael Marmor, MD.

Marmor, who has written two books on the subject, recently created computer simulations of how eye diseases such as cataracts might affect an artist's paintings. Marmor demonstrated that progression of eye diseases in artists including Monet, who had cataracts, created more abstract results in later works.

BALTIMORE, March 2007 — Mice whose eyes were genetically engineered to incorporate human photoreceptor cells can now see in a more full range of color, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

While normal mice like this one are color blind, scientists have managed to genetically engineer a full range of color vision in laboratory mice.

Investigators said they did not expect the brains of mice used in the experiment to adapt so quickly, enabling animals genetically modified with human photoreceptor cells to see and interpret more colors than would ordinarily be possible.

Humans and other primates such as monkeys have three basic types of photoreceptor cells found in the light-sensitive retina, where image processing occurs. These three cell types enable absorption of a more full range of light in varying wavelengths, creating color vision.

Mice and many other animals ordinarily have only two basic types of photoreceptors, making them at least partially color blind. Researchers said normal mice, for example, are unable to distinguish between red and yellow lighting under certain experimental parameters governing intensity.

Experimental findings were published in the March 23, 2007 issue of Science.

BOSTON, March 2007 — A recently published study indicates that dry eye may be overlooked as a major health issue among older U.S. populations; it found that the condition affects 7.8 percent of women and 4.7 percent of men aged 50 and older.

Investigators from Harvard Medical School's Schepens Eye Research Institute said about 4.8 million older U.S. residents have dry eye, which creates symptoms such as eye irritation and vision disturbances.

Reading, computer use and driving are among daily activities that can be significantly impacted by dry eye, researchers said in the March issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., February 2007 — Visual function can improve significantly in people who "train" by playing action video games requiring quick reaction time, according to recent research conducted at the University of Rochester.

Students who ordinarily did not participate in action video games were asked to play for a few hours daily. After about a month, these students improved their ability to respond to visual stimuli by about 20 percent.

Professor Daphne Bavelier and graduate student Shawn Green were part of a demonstration showing that action video games can sharpen vision. Action video game players more quickly identified how the middle "T" was oriented in a series of images containing other distracting symbols. (Photos courtesy of University of Rochester)

"Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information," Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, said in a news release. "After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly, even when other symbols crowded in."

Researchers say these findings suggest that people with certain vision problems such as amblyopia might benefit from specially developed computer software aimed at sharpening visual acuity.

Study results were scheduled to be published in the February 2007 issue of Psychological Science.

COLUMBIA, Mo., January 2007 — Veterinary ophthalmologist Kristina Narfstrom, D.V.M., PhD, successfully has implanted microchips that stimulate sight in the inner back of the eye (retina) of cats with inherited blindness similar to retinitis pigmentosa.

Narfstrom, of the University of Missouri-Columbia, said in a news release that results show promise for potential future treatments of humans with retinitis pigmentosa, which affects about 1 in 3,500 people worldwide.

The microchips known as Artificial Silicone Retinas (ASR) were developed by Optobionics (Naperville, Ill.).

"Our current study is aimed at determining safety issues in regard to the implants and to further develop surgical techniques," Narfstrom said in the news release. "We also are examining the protection the implants might provide to the retinal cells that are dying due to disease progression with the hope that natural sight can be maintained much longer than would be possible in an untreated patient."

ROCKVILLE, Md., January 2007 — Hepatitis C patients undergoing treatment with Interferon (IFN) may develop the eye disease of retinopathy, which involves possible bleeding and other damage to the inner back lining of the eye (retina) where light-sensitive cells are located.

In a study reported in the January 2007 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 61 percent of 36 patients developed retinopathy after receiving Interferon treatments for chronic hepatitis C. The study was conducted by researchers from the Departments of Ophthalmology and Hepatology at Asahikawa Medical College in Japan.

Retinopathy was detected in some patients after only two weeks of Interferon treatments. Researchers reported that retinopathy symptoms subsided in all but nine patients after Interferon treatments were concluded.

Clinics in Liver Disease (November 2006) and other clinical reports indicate that Interferon often is used in combination with another antiviral drug, ribavirin, to treat chronic hepatitis C.