Fixing What’s Broken
Spend enough time around eye doctors or in my case, reading about eye and vision research and you will learn that the eyes are the front of the brain. While the eyes are taking in the visuals, it is the brain that is interpreting them. Most of time, things work correctly, and people see what […]
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 […]
Glaucoma Bad News Good News
Who wants to get glaucoma? I suspect the answer is no one and here’s some bad news on the glaucoma front.Glaucoma can lead to facial recognition impairment. A study reported in the Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses sought to learn the direct association between facial recognition and macular structural damage in glaucoma patients. Macular […]
Visual Processing Part One
More than 50 percent of our brain is dedicated to visual processing. Yet there is so much going on. How do our brains process the information that is coming in from our eyes? One research project at Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich, University of California Berkeley and Harvard University looked at the retinal […]
Alzheimer’s and Glaucoma—Are They Related?
No one wants to be sick. No one wants to get a disease, especially diseases like Alzheimer’s and glaucoma. Glaucoma robs a person of his or her sight. Alzheimer’s robs a person of his or her mind. Interestingly enough, people who have Alzheimer’s are more likely to have glaucoma. They are both diseases that affect […]
Petri Dish Retinas
No one wants to have compromised vision. When someone learns that he or she has glaucoma, working to keep functional vision becomes a priority. While there are treatment regimens that help to keep intra-ocular pressure within acceptable perimeters, for many it is only a matter of time before they lose their vision. What if there […]
Stem Cell Secretions & Restoration of Sight
Studies are taking place around the world on the use of stem cells to treat many conditions and diseases. In particular, they are being studied as a treatment for restoring vision. Stem cells have the potential to protect the optic nerve from damage and slow vision loss, as well as possibly replace ocular tissue that […]