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Penn researchers find treatment for MS also reduces vision loss in MS patients
April 17, 2007First MS study to include a test of visual function
According to a study that appears in the April 17 issue of Neurology, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that natalizumab (TYSABRI®) - a drug that slows disability and reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) - also reduces vision loss in patients with relapsing MS. Vision loss is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of MS.
"Not only does natalizumab prevent the worsening of vision loss in people with relapsing MS, but it is also associated with significant reductions in the likelihood of sustained vision loss due to inflammatory demyelination of nerve fibers that connect to the eye, a common cause of visual loss in MS," says Laura J. Balcer, MD, MSCE, Associate Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Penn, and lead author of the paper.
The researchers analyzed data from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, phase 3 clinical trials involving 2,138 men and women with relapsing MS from clinical centers in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. More than half of the participants received natalizumab every four weeks for two years, while the remaining participants received placebo. Visits were conducted every 12 weeks and visual function testing was performed at each study visit. Low-contrast letter acuity was measured using low-contrast letter charts (eye charts with gray letters on a white background).
Researchers found vision loss - a worsening of vision defined as a two-line (10-letter) reduction in letter chart scores - was reduced by as much as 47% among people taking natalizumab, compared to those taking placebo.
"Not only do the findings of the study add to our understanding of the effects of natalizumab, but the results provide strong validation for a simple, sensitive, cost-effective, and clinically meaningful measure of visual function in MS," advises Dr. Nicholas LaRocca, Associate Vice President, Health Care Delivery and Policy Research at the National MS Society.
The researchers caution that, as with any therapy, the benefits of natalizumab must be considered in the context of potential risks or complications. In the case of natalizumab, three confirmed cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) - a rare, often lethal brain disease - have been reported.
Despite the fact that vision loss is a common and important cause of disability in MS, the natalizumab clinical trials were the first to include a test of visual function. These trials showed that low-contrast letter acuity eye chart testing is an effective measure for assessing visual outcomes, and may be useful in future clinical trials.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
The researchers analyzed data from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, phase 3 clinical trials involving 2,138 men and women with relapsing MS from clinical centers in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. More than half of the participants received natalizumab every four weeks for two years, while the remaining participants received placebo. Visits were conducted every 12 weeks and visual function testing was performed at each study visit. Low-contrast letter acuity was measured using low-contrast letter charts (eye charts with gray letters on a white background).
Researchers found vision loss - a worsening of vision defined as a two-line (10-letter) reduction in letter chart scores - was reduced by as much as 47% among people taking natalizumab, compared to those taking placebo.
"Not only do the findings of the study add to our understanding of the effects of natalizumab, but the results provide strong validation for a simple, sensitive, cost-effective, and clinically meaningful measure of visual function in MS," advises Dr. Nicholas LaRocca, Associate Vice President, Health Care Delivery and Policy Research at the National MS Society.
The researchers caution that, as with any therapy, the benefits of natalizumab must be considered in the context of potential risks or complications. In the case of natalizumab, three confirmed cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) - a rare, often lethal brain disease - have been reported.
Despite the fact that vision loss is a common and important cause of disability in MS, the natalizumab clinical trials were the first to include a test of visual function. These trials showed that low-contrast letter acuity eye chart testing is an effective measure for assessing visual outcomes, and may be useful in future clinical trials.
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Vision Loss Current Events and Vision Loss News RSSCataract surgery does not appear associated with worsening of age-related macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration does not appear to progress at a higher rate among individuals who have had surgery to treat cataract, contrary to previous reports that treating one cause of vision loss worsens the other.
Sight gone, but not necessarily lost?
Like all tissues in the body, the eye needs a healthy blood supply to function properly. Poorly developed blood vessels can lead to visual impairment or even blindness.
Clues to visual variant Alzheimer's; myopia and diabetic retinopathy risk
Two studies are of particular note in today's Scientific Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO): a report by Swiss neuro-ophthalmic researchers about vision exam clues that should make ophthalmologists suspect an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease; and new evidence from a Singapore National Eye Center study that diabetics who are nearsighted may be less susceptible to diabetic retinopathy.
Treating ROP in tiny preemies; better glaucoma follow-up in urban clinic
Highlights of today's Scientific Program of the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Joint Meeting include: John T. Flynn, MD, Columbia University School of Medicine, discussing the ever-tougher challenges Eye M.D.s face in caring for the vision of the tiniest premature babies; and a report by Bradford W. Lee, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, on barriers to glaucoma follow-up as perceived by patients in an urban, culturally diverse clinic.
First in New York: Bionic technology aims to give sight to woman blinded beginning at age 13
A 50-year-old New York woman who was diagnosed with a progressive blinding disease at age 13 was implanted with an experimental electronic eye implant that has partially restored her vision.
Experimental treatments restore partial vision to blind people
Two experimental treatments, a retinal prosthesis and fetal tissue transplant, restored some vision to people with blinding eye diseases. The findings, presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health, may lead to new treatments for the blind.
Cancer drug is no different in effectiveness as gold standard treatment for macular degeneration
Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the VA Boston Healthcare System have shown, at 6 months in a small group of patients, that there is no difference in efficacy between Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
New device finds early signs of eye disease in preemies
Tell-tale signs of a condition that can blind premature babies are being seen for the first time using a new handheld device in a study at Duke University Medical Center.
Topical erectile dysfunction therapy shows promise
An innovative drug-delivery system - nanoparticles encapsulating nitric oxide or prescription drugs - shows promise for topical treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a new study by scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
Study predicts 40 percent increase in blindness in Nigeria by 2020
By 2020, 1.4 million Nigerians over age 40 will lose their sight, and the vast majority of the causes are either preventable or treatable, according to the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Study Group.
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Channel Vision TP9DB 9dB Line Tap1dB loss DC Passing by Channel Vision 9DB LINE TAP 1DB LOSS, DC PASSINGBrand NewFull Manufacturer's Warranty |
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Latin A La Loss/Latin Like L Joe Loss & His Orchestra (Performer) Classic Remastered Cha Cha Recordings. |
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See Again(100 caps.) by Fantastic Products Many have used See Again miraculously to regain lost vision and heal eye problems. Users report clear, improved vision; floaters, staph infection, cloudy or blurred vision gone; brighter eyes; cataracts disappear; fatty growth, blood spots gone; inflamed eyes improve, glaucoma gone, cyst reduced. |
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