by Dan Roberts September 2004 A study from Tufts University in Boston ranks the antioxidant value of commonly eaten fruits and vegetables using an analysis called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). This is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances. Antioxidants are special compounds that protect [Read More]
News
Sight From Fetal Cell Transplantation
by Dan Roberts January, 2003 (Updated September, 2004) Scientists are researching a new method of retinal transplantation in the continuing effort to restore sight to the blind. Drs. Robert Aramant and Magdalene Seiler (Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles) have had preliminary success transplanting double layers of cells from the retinas of aborted fetuses. The two [Read More]
Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS)
by Dan Roberts September 2004 This syndrome is characterized by visual hallucinations in people who have a sudden change in vision such as that brought on by macular degeneration. Named after the man who first described it in 1780, it was later defined as “persistent or recurrent visual pseudohallucinatory phenomena of a pleasant or neutral [Read More]
Descriptive Terminology for Macular Degeneration
by Dan Roberts Originally published July 2004 By their choice of words, eye care professionals, public relations writers and media reporters hold the power to influence the psychological impact of macular degeneration on newly-diagnosed patients. This article attempts to bring awareness of terminology that is both accurate and sensitive to patient welfare, thereby establishing a [Read More]
Second AMD Gene Discovered
A second gene, called fibulin 5, has been shown to be related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The discovery was announced in the July 22, 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by a team from the Research Center for Macular Degeneration and Allied Retinal Diseases at the University of Iowa. Earlier research [Read More]