Articles tagged with Blindness
Researchers have identified a genetic variation associated with an increased risk of developing neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a potentially fatal disease that blinds and paralyzes patients. The study, published in Nature Communications, may help scientists develop targeted treatments for NMO.
A new approach in VR redirected walking leverages eye blinks to provide users with a realistic perception of infinite space. The technique, developed by computer scientists, involves redirecting the user's viewpoint during natural instances of eye blinking, without undetectable camera movements.
Researchers mapped the brain of a blind woman who can see moving objects but not stationary ones due to Riddoch syndrome. Her brain takes detours around damaged pathways to bypass the visual system.
A new AI-powered algorithm has been developed to diagnose retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of childhood blindness, with an accuracy rate of 91% compared to 82% for human experts. The algorithm uses deep learning to analyze images of infant eyes and can help prevent blindness in more babies worldwide.
Researchers at Duke University have developed a strategy that delays blindness in mice with retinal degeneration by boosting cells' ability to process misfolded proteins. The approach could potentially be used to prevent cell death in other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's and Parkinson's.
A new approach developed by engineers at the University of Washington and Carnegie Mellon University uses the keyboard as a two-dimensional way to access tables, maps and nested lists. The tool, Spatial Recognition Interaction Techniques (SPRITEs), lets blind and low-vision users navigate these kinds of sites much more successfully tha...
A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology suggests that telemedicine can accurately diagnose a rare cause of blindness in premature babies. The study found no significant difference between in-person and remote exams for diagnosing retinopathy of prematurity, which affects up to 16,000 US babies each year.
A new audio-based interface called RAD enables visually impaired players to experience full 3D graphics and complex racetracks in racing video games. The system uses sonification techniques to provide players with relevant information, allowing them to form a plan of action and compete at the same level as sighted players.
The National Eye Institute is seeking innovative approaches to create functional human retina prototypes using stem cells. The goal is to develop 'mini-retinas' that can replicate the complexity of the human retina, enabling the study of underlying causes of retinal diseases and testing new drug therapies.
Researchers found a clear link between low arachidonic acid levels and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely premature babies. Providing the children with arachidonic acid may help reduce the risk of ROP and minimize blindness.
Researchers identified shared immunity-related pathways involved in advanced stages of inherited blindness, hinting at potential therapeutic strategies. The study's findings also reveal similarities with common vision disorders like diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and Research to Prevent Blindness announce a new grant opportunity to support researchers using the IRIS Registry database for population-based studies in ophthalmology and blindness prevention. The grants will help advance patient care by leveraging big data analytics.
The 121st annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology features keynotes from CMS Administrator Seema Verma and a world-renowned expert on inherited eye disease. The meeting also explores innovations in big data, stem cell therapy, and gene therapies to improve patient care.
A study analyzing 190 countries found a strong negative association between visual impairment prevalence and socioeconomic level, with the lowest rates in high-HDI regions. The average prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment decreased from 4.38% in low-HDI regions to 1.51% in very-high-HDI regions.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have identified a rare Y-shape in a protein associated with hereditary glaucoma, which may revolutionize its treatment. The discovery reveals how the Y ties together major components of the protein and could help understand myocilin's role in the eye.
Researchers have shown that gene therapy can reprogram cells at the back of the eye to become light sensitive, potentially reversing blindness. In a study, mice blind from retinitis pigmentosa regained vision and recognized objects in their environment after receiving melanopsin gene therapy.
A neuroimaging study reveals that blind individuals perform better on a touch discrimination task when their hands are crossed due to stronger frontal-parietal connectivity. In contrast, sighted individuals show greater activity in parietal and premotor areas with uncrossed hands.
Scientists have identified a gene that causes blindness in middle age, shedding light on a devastating genetic condition. The study found changes in the RPGR gene damage eye cells and lead to X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, affecting night and peripheral vision before causing complete blindness.
The study found that 36 million people worldwide are blind, with the greatest burden in developing countries in south, east, and southeast Asia. By 2050, this number is projected to increase to almost 115 million, highlighting the need for increased efforts to alleviate vision impairment.
Researchers at Duke University have developed an algorithm that allows robots to recognize and understand 3-D objects, even when parts are hidden from view. The system can simultaneously guess what a new object is and how it's oriented without examining it from multiple angles first.
Scientists reviewed 80 years of research on facial expressions in blind people to determine if they express emotions in the same way as sighted individuals. The study found that blind people use the same muscles to express individual emotions, suggesting an innate and universal emotional character.
Researchers have identified that visually impaired people use the timbre, in addition to pitch and loudness, of echoes to navigate their surroundings. This skill is similar to animal echolocation but differs in how humans use sound to locate objects.
Researchers have developed a novel photoswitch that restores visual function in blind mice by activating retinal neurons. The light-sensitive molecule, DAD, targets bipolar cells, offering advantages over previous approaches. This breakthrough provides a promising alternative for treating vision loss.
Researchers at KU Leuven found that blind individuals, including those without eyeballs, use the ventral-temporal cortex to categorize visual observations. This region is divided into smaller areas, each recognizing a particular category, such as faces, body parts, and objects.
Researchers found that humans prefer internal visual information generated by the brain to external images from the real world. This bias was observed in a study where participants chose between identical visual objects one generated internally and another externally displayed.
Researchers found that smiling makes a person appear to be two years older due to associated wrinkles. In contrast, surprised expressions are perceived as youthful, contradicting common perceptions of age and emotions.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center developed a personalized visual training program to reroute visual information around damaged areas of the brain. Patients regained large swaths of rudimentary sight, with some able to recover vision enough to drive again.
Researchers at Tufts University successfully treated blind tadpoles with a serotonin receptor drug to induce nerve growth and promote visual learning, enabling the animals to process visual information from their grafted eyes. The study provides a potential road map for promoting innervation in regenerative medicine.
A new study found that birds with longer beaks have larger blind areas in front of their heads, resulting in narrower fields of binocular vision. This finding suggests that the size of the blind area plays an important role in birds' vision.
A new study led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers found that the brains of blind individuals make new connections to compensate for visual information, enhancing abilities like hearing, smell, touch, memory, and language. The findings could lead to more effective rehabilitation efforts for blind individuals.
A Florida clinic's unproven stem cell treatment blinded three women with macular degeneration, causing vision loss and other complications. The treatment, which involved injecting fat cells into the eyes, lacked proper scientific design and oversight.
Scientists identify α2δ4 as essential for photoreceptors to connect with neural circuit, enabling proper vision. The study suggests manipulating α2δ4 may help preserve vision in degenerative conditions like age-related macular degeneration.
Advances in telemedicine and anti-VEGF treatments offer new hope for patients with retinopathy of prematurity. New technologies are transforming the care of ROP patients, enabling more widespread treatment options.
Researchers discover mutations in the REEP6 gene as a significant contributor to retinitis pigmentosa, a leading inherited eye disorder. The study identifies seven new cases of patients with tunnel vision and vision loss, shedding light on the genetic basis of this devastating disease.
Researchers evaluated two adeno-associated virus vectors in non-human primates to assess gene expression efficiency and immunogenicity. The results provide insight into the safety and effectiveness of these gene therapy approaches before initiating clinical trials in humans.
Researchers at Salk Institute discover a holy grail of gene editing, allowing precise DNA insertion into adult organs and tissues. This breakthrough enables partial restoration of visual responses in blind rodents and holds promise for treating retinal, heart, and neurological diseases.
Research by Dr. Przemyslaw Sapieha and colleagues suggests that a diet rich in fat can alter the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and increased risk of wet AMD, a blinding form of age-related macular degeneration. The study provides new insights into the role of gut microbes in disease prevention.
Researchers at LA BioMed have discovered a low-cost eye drop solution that is equally effective to expensive antibiotics in treating bacterial keratitis. The povidone-iodine solution has the potential to save thousands of lives by preventing blindness in developing countries.
Dr. Aaron McGee is awarded the Disney Award for Amblyopia Research to investigate approaches for improving recovery from amblyopia and reversing loss of depth perception. His research aims to 're-open' critical periods in adulthood to enhance brain circuitry flexibility.
Researchers recommend a new eye pressure test to check for high eye fluid pressure after cataract surgery, which can cause swelling and vision loss. The test has been shown to reduce the risk of cystoid macular edema by 2.5-4 times.
A new study published in PLOS Biology shows that the adult brain retains residual capacity to process restored or artificial visual inputs. Blind individuals who received a prosthetic implant were able to recognize unusual visual stimuli and improve their perception over time with extensive training.
A wearable artificial vision device has vastly improved the daily productivity of visually impaired patients, with an average score of 9.8 out of 10 after one week of use. The device, which clips to glasses and features a miniature camera, recognizes text and faces, and reads them aloud via a bone-conduction earpiece.
A new study from LA BioMed found that lower-income minority patients and healthcare providers have markedly divergent perceptions of the barriers to diabetic retinopathy screening. Patients reported financial burden and depression as major obstacles, while providers deemed other factors more significant.
Researchers found that patients are willing to participate in telemedicine for diabetic retinopathy screening if it is convenient and tailored to their needs. The study suggests that telemedicine could ease the burden on patients who face high costs, lack of access, or difficulty with transportation.
A recent study published in Diabetes Care journal reveals a significant rise in diabetes-related vision loss worldwide. The 20-year period saw a 64% increase in people with moderate or severe vision impairment due to diabetes, primarily attributed to poor glucose control and limited access to eye health services.
A new study by the University of Leicester has identified details in fossil vertebrate eyes that shed light on how vertebrates evolved their complex eyes. The research shows that ancient species of hagfish could see, while living counterparts are blind, revealing a 'reverse evolution' process.
The risk of blindness caused by spinal fusion surgery has decreased nearly three-fold since the late 1990s, with an estimated 60% decline over two decades. The study attributes this reduction to advancements in minimally invasive surgical techniques and changes in anesthesia practice, such as stricter blood pressure limits during surgery.
A new, rare blind planthopper species has been discovered exclusively in a Brazilian cave. The species, Iuiuia caeca, is a small, yellowish insect that measures only 3mm, and its unique characteristics make it essential for understanding subterranean biodiversity.
Researchers are designing cooperative robots to empower people with disabilities to safely travel and navigate unfamiliar environments. A gaze-controlled robotic system is also being developed to enable people with motor impairments to fetch objects by looking at them.
A USC study predicts that the US prevalence of visual impairment and blindness will more than double over the next 35 years. The number of Americans with age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts is expected to skyrocket, impacting individuals and society.
The prevalence of visual impairment and blindness in the US is projected to double in the next 35 years due to an aging population. Minority groups, particularly African Americans, are at a higher risk, with Hispanic individuals experiencing a significant increase in blind rates.
The US is projected to see a doubling of visual impairment and blindness cases by 2050, with the greatest burden on non-Hispanic white women and African Americans. The National Eye Institute predicts that 2.15 million non-Hispanic white women will be visually impaired by then.
Researchers discover large secondary eyes in a spider species enable it to catch larger, more nutritious prey, which may explain the evolution of these enlarged eyes. The findings suggest the spiders' nocturnal nature and reliance on vision to hunt for prey on the ground.
Researchers have designed three new eyeglasses using high-power prisms to optimally expand the visual fields of patients with hemianopia, a condition that affects over one million Americans. The new devices address limitations of existing prism technology and may provide additional range of vision when scanning in both directions.
A miniature camera using optical character-recognition technology mounted on eyeglasses significantly improves the ability to read and perform daily living activities. The device, called OrCam, recognizes text, faces, and commercial products, offering a new hope for those with age-related macular degeneration or advanced-stage glaucoma.
A portable artificial vision device improved daily living tasks for 12 legally blind participants, who performed better when using the device than with their best-corrected visual acuity alone. The device recognizes text, faces, and objects, providing an effective low-vision aid despite technical limitations.
A pioneering gene therapy has restored vision to patients with a rare form of genetic blindness for up to four years, providing sustained improvement and raising hopes for a cure. The treatment involves injecting a virus into the eye to deliver billions of healthy genes, replacing a key missing gene.
A team of scientists from Queen's University Belfast is collaborating on a novel gene therapy approach to reverse diabetes-linked blood vessel damage to the retina. The research aims to prevent disease progression and restore visual function, addressing a global challenge affecting over 90 million people.
A study comparing blind and sighted participants reveals that language learning shapes gesture patterns, with Turkish speakers producing more separated sentence units. The findings suggest that speech carries the imprint of the language, marking it as a source of cross-linguistic variation in gestures.
Researchers at Penn Vet have found that retinal cells continue to differentiate and divide before overwhelming cell death causes degeneration, a common feature of inherited blindness diseases. This study suggests that this feature may be present across many forms of inherited blindness.