As reported October 29, 2013 in the journal Molecular Therapy, a French research team led by Fabienne Rolling, Ph.D., of INSERM has used gene therapy to restore vision in dogs affected by cone-rod dystrophy. CRD is caused by mutations in the gene RPGRIP1. In this study, retinal cone cell (central vision) function was significantly rescued […]
by Dan Roberts, Editor-in-Chief Living Well With Low Vision I recently wrote about the challenges people with visual impairment face when listening to speech (“I Can’t See What You’re Saying“, October 4, 2013). In addition to audible confusion, as discussed in that article, our inability to see facial expressions can also cause difficulty understanding implicit […]
by Ellen Troyer, MT MA, with Spencer Thornton, MD Evidence continues to mount that links B vitamins deficiency, specifically B6, B12 and folate, to increased risk of developing Macular Degeneration and Alzheimer’s, as well as faster progression of the two disease processes. PLoS One, the open-access journal for the communication of all peer-reviewed scientific and […]
Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has launched “See Jane See – Women’s Healthy Eyes Now”, a web-based educational campaign dedicated solely to women’s vision health. See Jane See and the dedicated website, SeeJaneSee.org, offers free information and downloadable tip sheets created specifically for women on a variety of issues across the age spectrum. Information will also […]
According to members of the Three Continent AMD Consortium (3CC), prediction models for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on case-control studies have a tendency to overestimate risks. To provide more well-defined data, 3CC developed a prediction model for late AMD based on data from population-based studies. Using data from the Rotterdam Study, the Beaver Dam […]
Why do we see on some days worse than on others? by Dan Roberts Editor-in-Chief, Low Vision Resources Gradual vision loss is to be expected with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Even though it is expected, however, slow deterioration of our view of the world can cause fear, depression, and chronic stress in those of us […]
When the link breaks between sight and sound by Dan Roberts, Editor-in-Chief PBA Low Vision Resource Center Why do we visually impaired people also seem to have trouble understanding speech? Do we really need people to speak louder to us, as they are often prone to do? The answer may come from recent findings at […]
Early treatment with a new drug called JETREA® (formerly called ocriplasmin) has shown effectiveness in lessening the risk of macular pucker, macular hole, and vitreomacular traction (VMT). These conditions are caused by the tugging on the macula by the vitreous gel, which is attached to the retina at several points. As the vitreous shrinks with […]
by Joe Fontenot MD, CLVT and Marie Cafferty LPTA, SARPC (Reprinted with permission from “The Magnifier”, a publication of MD Foundation.) Common sense, as well as the Mr. McGoo cartoons, tells us that poor vision makes it more likely to fall. Medical studies bear this out. Falls are serious and frequent events. According to a […]
by Rose Schneider October has been named Home Eye Safety Awareness Month by Prevent Blindness America (PBA). According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, each year in the United States, more than 2.5 million eye injuries occur and 50,000 people permanently lose part or all of their vision. Additionally, a recent report by PBA shows […]