Darkness Therapy In Treatment of Visual Brain Disorders Like Amblyopia. Researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada are using total immersion in darkness in the treatment and therapy for visual brain disorders such as amblyopia.
Amblyopia, also known as 'lazy eye', is a condition when one eye does not develop a proper nerve pathway to the brain. New Observation on the Role of Rhodopsin and Retinal Degenerative Diseases. New observation on the behavior between rhodopsin and photoreceptor cells could help explain retinal degenerative diseases and find new ways to treat blindness.
Retinal degenerative diseases refers to diseases that causes the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue, lining the inner surface of the eye, to deteriorate. As it deteriorates, cells of the retina starts to die. Of the cells affected by retinal degeneration, the photoreceptor cells are most important. Photoreceptor cells are neurons that convert light stimuli into signals for the brain to process. Neurons are unlike some other cells as they do not divide or multiply. Studies Show That Brown Eyes Are Perceived To Be More Trustworthy Than Blue Eyes. A study on how the color of the eyes influence perception of trustworthiness showed that people tend to trust brown eyed people over the blue eyed.
The human brain interprets another person's face and expression to identify origin, emotional tendencies, health qualities, and some social information. This is called face perception. How the brain interprets the face would dictate how to socially interact with the person. Face perception is domain specific, heritable and independent of the person's cognitive abilities. But it is influenced by environment, ethnicity, and to some extent, culture. This process is highly adaptive in any social environment, especially for distinguishing a friend from a foe. Bionic Eye, Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System, Gets Approval Recommendation From US FDA. The Argus II retinal prosthesis system is called the bionic eye.
It is a retinal implant that is used to send image data straight to the brain. The California company, Second Sight, developed Argus II. Their goal with the Argus II is to provide sight to people who have been blinded from outer retinal degenerations, such as retinitis pigmentosa. Statins Reduce Risk Of Glaucoma By Eight Percent. Statins are a class of drugs used to lower and manage the cholesterol levels of the human body.
Statins lowers cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme that controls production of cholesterol in the liver. Statin benefits those with cholesterol problems since it targets LDL (Low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol which is the "bad" type of cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol in the body can cause the hardening of arteris called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can lead to more serious conditions such as restricted blood flow to the heart, stroke, and heart attack. Patients with cardivascular disease are often prescribed with statins. In Feb 2012, the FDA warned statin users of potential risks. Despite this, doctors still believe that the benefits of statins to patients with cardiovascular conditions outweigh its risks.
National study finds reduced glaucoma risk in patients who take statins Glaucoma affects more than 2.7 million Americans age 40 and older . Eye Writing Technology Help People Unable To Communicate. A new technology described in the paper published online on July 26 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, might allow people who have almost completely lost the ability to move their arms or legs to communicate freely, by using their eyes to write in cursive.
The eye-writing technology tricks the neuromuscular machinery into doing something that is usually impossible: to voluntarily produce smooth eye movements in arbitrary directions. "Contrary to the current belief, we show that one can gain complete, voluntary control over smooth pursuit eye movements," says Jean Lorenceau of Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris. "The discovery also provides a tool to use smooth pursuit eye movements as a pencil to draw, write, or generate a signature.
" The advance could be of great benefit for people deprived of limb movements, such as those with Lou Gehrig's disease (also known as ALS), the researchers say. Restoring Vision Through Stem Cell Regeneration of Retina and Optic Cup of the Eye. Stem cells are cells that have the ability to form into most types of biological cells in the body.
In terms of human stem cells, these cells can be made into various human cells and tissues. This technology has great potential to treat otherwise untreatable diseases and conditions. Stem cells can repair and even replace diseased cells in organs and tissues. It can even assist in organ regeneration. Advances in stem cell research has expanded the procurement of stem cells. Today there are processes in gathering stem cells that generate four types of stem cells, these are: Embryonic Stem CellNuclear Transplant Stem CellParthenote Stem CellInduced Stem CellThe first three types require a fertilized egg cell to form. Scientists see new hope for restoring vision with stem cell help "This is an important milestone for a new generation of regenerative medicine," says senior study author Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology.
Researchers Report Breakthrough in the Prevention of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease.
AMD affects the macula, a part of the retina. The retina sends light from the eye to the brain, and the macula allows the person to see the fine detail of the image. What AMD does is it blurs the sharp central vision needed for straight-ahead activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration: dry macular degeneration and wet macular degeneration. Eye Treatment to Protect Against Glaucoma Being Studied. Scientists demonstrate that administration of a therapeutically relevant x-ray treatment to a single eye can protect it against glaucoma in the future.
