Plasma exchange could expand treatment options for rare disease that threatens vision
Plasma exchange can help treat people with a rare inflammatory disease that can cause blindness, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Neurology. Plasma exchange led to recovery for most people with the disease, which is called myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), and side effects were rare.
Source: Medical Xpress
Human study links reduced inflammation to later myopia onset
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine researcher Jody Summers, Ph.D., has long hypothesized that inflammation plays a role in the development of myopia, or nearsightedness, in which close-up vision is clear but distance vision is blurry. Her laboratory experiments have been convincing, and now she has preliminary human data to support the theory.
Source: Medical Xpress
Mind-wandering mechanisms change depending on eye state
A type of brain activity linked to arousal and attention can track mind wandering. But research conflicts on whether this activity promotes or hinders mind wandering. Esther Thielking of Barnard College and colleagues explored whether having the eyes open or closed changes the relationship between this brain activity and mind wandering.
Source: Medical Xpress
Low Dose Atropine Eye Drops Safe and Effective for Short-Sightedness in Children, Clinical Trial Suggests
Low-concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ.
Source: Medical Xpress
Peripheral Vision Helps Readers Process Skipped Words in 250 Milliseconds
Reading seems like a straightforward process. The eyes scan the words, and the brain turns them into meaning. But it's not always that simple. Readers regularly skip words, sometimes without realizing it. New research from USF shows how the brain still processes those skipped words using peripheral vision, even as the eyes move past them.
Source: Medical Xpress
AI Tool Shown to Reduce Eye Care Disparities for African American Adults with Diabetes
In a study exploring how an AI-assisted diagnostic tool shaped care for underserved populations at multiple community-based primary care sites, investigators at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, found that African American patients with diabetes were more likely to receive a diabetic eye exam referral if screened by an AI tool.
Source: Medical Xpress
Going Swimming? How to Keep your Eyes Safe: Q&A with Pediatric Optometrist
As temperatures rise and people head to the pool or large bodies of water to cool off, Emma Stahr, OD, an instructor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology and a pediatric optometrist at Children's Hospital Colorado, prepares to see children and teens experiencing adverse effects that can stem from water activities.
Source: Medical Xpress
New Research Suggests Maternal Asthma May Heighten Risk of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Premature infants of mothers with asthma may be more likely to need treatment for a serious and potentially vision-threatening eye condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to research conducted by alumni and faculty of the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Ophthalmology.
Source: Medical Xpress
Lab-Grown Retina Gives Gene Change Clue to Rare Childhood Eye Condition
A study using tiny retinas grown in a lab has revealed how subtle changes in a key growth-controlling protein can lead to a condition causing serious eye defects from birth.
Source: Medical Xpress
AI Can Use a Photo of the Eye to Estimate Retinal Age, Flag Risk for Major Diseases
There may be some truth to the saying "the eyes are the window to the soul." Age-related changes are reflected in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Recent research shows that a photo of the retina may also reveal potential risks for major diseases like diabetes.
Source: Medical Xpress