Usher Syndrome
Usher Syndrome is a rare, inherited condition that affects the three major senses, vision, hearing and balance. There are three types and they are: Type 1—This causes profound deafness at birth, balance dysfunction and progressive vision loss. Type 2—This causes moderate to severe hearing loss at birth and progressive vision loss. Type 3—This causes later […]
Optical Illusions
Optical illusions are intriguing and sometimes baffling. In the 1990s “Magic Eye” pictures were everywhere, from mall kiosks to the back of cereal boxes. The “Magic Eye” were pictures that were distorted in such a way that a 3D image would over time appear to the viewer. The image never appeared to me, no matter […]
I’ve Seen That Before—How the Brain Discerns What is Familiar vs What is Novel Part Two
The study at MIT looked into the brain’s visual recognition memory to learn how it focuses on what’s new and ignores what isn’t. A study at the University of Pennsylvania looked at the theory of repetition suppression, namely that less activity in the inferotemporal (IT) cortex meant that the image in question was familiar. The […]
I’ve Seen That Before—How the Brain Discerns What is Familiar vs What is Novel Part One
As we go about our day, our eyes are taking in a lot of images and our brain is processing them all. The images range from the familiar to the novel. Once these images come into the brain, how are they processed so that we know what familiar and what is novel. Two research projects, […]
The Genes Have It
Genetic research has revealed many things about eye diseases. Two studies in particular have revealed how gene variants in inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs), such as retinitis pigmentosa, lead to these diseases and how gene therapy can help preserve vision. Whole-Genome Sequences Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and at Shiley […]
Automation Comes to Eye Imaging
Aren’t optical coherence tomography (OCT) machines great? The machine uses light waves to take a cross-section of the retina and this allows the eye doctor to map and measure its thickness. These measurements help with the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease. As great as an OCT machine […]
Possible New Treatments for FECD
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a rare eye disease that affects the thin layer of cells that line the back part of the cornea, known as the endothelium. When the cells in endothelium die off, fluid builds up in the cornea, causing swelling and vision loss. Currently the only treatment is a corneal transplant. […]
Blindness, Hearing & Color Perception
Being blind isn’t just a matter of living in total darkness. There are levels of blindness, from being legally blind, which is having vision that is 20/200 or less, to complete blindness whereby a person cannot make out shadows or light. Still, no matter what level of blindness a person has, it’s not like he […]
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children that are younger than 2-years-old. It develops in the retina and approximately 40 percent of cases are due to an inherited genetic mutation in a gene known as RB1. For most patients with an inherited form of the disease, the cancer affects both eyes. CAR-T-cell therapy Research […]
Babies and Computers and Vision—Oh my!
Our eyes are taking in a lot of information when we see something within milliseconds of turning our head to the object in question. How does that happen? What are the internal mechanisms that lead to our being able to differentiate between two shades of green or know the difference between a pen and a […]