Blindness News and Research

RSS

Second Sight achieves milestone with conditional FDA approval to start Orion feasibility clinical trial

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc., a developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable visual prosthetics to provide useful vision to blind patients, today announced that the Company has received conditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin the Orion™ Cortical Visual Prosthesis System feasibility clinical study.

29 Aug 2017

Vision research using donated human tissue could help millions suffering from diabetic eye disease

When Coleen Anegon's husband, Tim, received a liver donation as a patient at the University of Michigan in 2014, she immediately felt indebted to the donor who gave him the gift of life.

26 Aug 2017

Variations in ancient mitochondrial DNA may play key role in predisposition to ASD

Mitochondria, the tiny structures inside our cells that generate energy, may play a key role in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

23 Aug 2017

Scientists identify key compound that reduces severity of AMD in preclinical model

A compound of specific bioactive products from a major family of enzymes reduced the severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a preclinical model, according to a new study led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers.

22 Aug 2017

Bionic vision restoration: could future technologies restore sight?

The brain is very plastic, which means that the brain is able to adapt to new signals. In the case of bionic vision restoration, the photoreceptors have died, the brain is not receiving anything biologically, and you are going to then send something which is artificial, prosthetic, and has been created outside the body.

21 Aug 2017

Eye surgeon offers tips for safe viewing of solar eclipse

On Monday, Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse will offer a rare - although brief - sight to millions when the sun disappears fully behind the moon. An otherwise bright summer sky will give way to total darkness.

16 Aug 2017

Emory scientists use new tools to detect granulins for the first time inside cells

Emory University School of Medicine researchers have developed tools that enable them to detect small proteins called granulins for the first time inside cells.

14 Aug 2017

UNC-Chapel Hill receives $1.6 million grant to help African-American patients with glaucoma

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has received a grant worth nearly $1.6 million over four years from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to help reduce vision problems in African-Americans caused by glaucoma.

4 Aug 2017

Public service announcement encourages people to get tested for glaucoma

Upstate Medical University has produced a public service announcement that calls attention to the importance of being tested for glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

4 Aug 2017

Global blindness rates expected to soar within a few decades

Blindness is expected to become three times more prevalent across the globe within the next four decades, warn researchers. According to a study published in Lancet Global Health, an estimated 36 million cases of blindness in 2015 is set to rise to 115 million by 2050, if funding for treatment is not increased.

3 Aug 2017

Cell signaling molecules may be key to repairing diabetic nerve injury

Molecules that help cells communicate with each other--called cytokines--might be the key to repairing diabetic nerve damage, according to a new study published in Experimental Neurology. painful side effects.

1 Aug 2017

Five things that parents should know about pediatric eye surgery requiring anesthesia

Healthy eyes play an important role in a child's development, and sometimes more than just a new pair of glasses may be required.

1 Aug 2017

Researchers present novel gene-editing technique to prevent retinal angiogenesis

A research team from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear has successfully prevented mice from developing angiogenesis of the retina--the sensory tissue at the back of the eye--using gene-editing techniques with CRISPR-Cas9.

25 Jul 2017

Hidden parasite: Raccoon roundworms may infect people more than previously assumed

The raccoon that topples your trashcan and pillages your garden may leave more than just a mess. More likely than not, it also contaminates your yard with parasites -- most notably, raccoon roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis).

24 Jul 2017

Established therapeutic drugs may be effective against childhood dementia

Although dementia is most often seen in adults, childhood or adolescent dementia does occur. A team of researchers from the University of Würzburg believes that established therapeutic drugs might be effective against childhood dementia.

24 Jul 2017

Trump plan might cut expenses for some insured patients with chronic needs

Erin Corbelli takes three medications to treat high blood pressure, depression and an anxiety disorder. Her health plan covers her drugs and specialist visits, but Corbelli and her family must pay a $3,000 annual deductible before the plan starts picking up any of that tab.

21 Jul 2017

Research shows how the brain can become adaptive based on training

Practice might not always make perfect, but it's essential for learning a sport or a musical instrument. It's also the basis of brain training, an approach that holds potential as a non-invasive therapy to overcome disabilities caused by neurological disease or trauma.

19 Jul 2017

Research shows how dietary essential fatty acids can help treat Alzheimer’s, other diseases

Understanding how dietary essential fatty acids work may lead to effective treatments for diseases and conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease and other retinal and neurodegenerative diseases.

18 Jul 2017

Fake pictures go undetected by most people says new study

A new unique study from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom looked at a group of participants and asked them to detect digitally manipulated fake images. They found that one third of the fake and altered images went undetected by most participants. The study entitled “Can people identify original and manipulated photos of real-world scenes?” was published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.