Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Music therapy in conjunction with standard rehabilitation benefits COPD patients

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other chronic respiratory disorders who received music therapy in conjunction with standard rehabilitation saw an improvement in symptoms, psychological well-being and quality of life compared to patients receiving rehabilitation alone, according to a new study by researchers at The Louis Armstrong Center of Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI).

24 Dec 2015

Study explores how contextual information shapes our visual perception

The Thalamus not only relays visual signals from the eye to the visual cortex as previously thought, but also conveys additional, contextual information.

23 Dec 2015

Dynamic light scattering technique may help detect people at risk of cataracts and presbyopia

As we age, proteins in the lenses of our eyes start misbehaving: They unfold and congregate in clusters that block, scatter and distort light as it passes through the lens. A cloudy area, or cataract, forms. In a new study, scientists found that throughout our lifetime, levels of a key protein decline, and may be an early warning sign of a developing cataract.

23 Dec 2015

Medication poisoning threatens young children in poor areas

Children younger than 5 who live in economically disadvantaged areas had a greater risk of medication poisoning that resulted in referral to a health care facility, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and the University of California, San Diego. These areas were rural and experienced high unemployment, along with lower rates of high school graduation and lower household income.

23 Dec 2015

Study identifies genetic factors that play role in AMD

An international study has identified the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the worldwide leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

23 Dec 2015

New QUT research reveals road rumble strip could be a wake-up call to pull over

Drowsy drivers are being urged to stop and take a break the first time they hit a road rumble strip these school holidays, with new QUT research revealing the audio-tactile vibrations should be a wake-up call to pull over.

23 Dec 2015

Researchers identify child pedestrian behaviors that promote accidents

"Look both ways before you cross the street" may be sage advice, but it is also apparently necessary for children as old as 13, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers, who have pinpointed many of the behaviors that lead to child pedestrians being hit by cars.

23 Dec 2015

New study reveals why some vestibular schwannomas cause hearing loss

A new study at Massachusetts Eye and Ear showed that in some cases of vestibular schwannoma, a sometimes-lethal tumor often associated with neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), secretions from the tumor contain toxic molecules that damage the inner ear.

23 Dec 2015

Novoron Bioscience receives NIH grant to study novel therapeutic approach for multiple sclerosis

Novoron Bioscience, Inc., a private biotech company dedicated to developing new therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system, today announced that the company has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.

22 Dec 2015

Study: Brains of compulsive video game players wired differently

Brain scans from nearly 200 adolescent boys provide evidence that the brains of compulsive video game players are wired differently. Chronic video game play is associated with hyperconnectivity between several pairs of brain networks.

22 Dec 2015

Bern study sheds light on the brain mechanism of arousal

Scientists from Bern have discovered a mechanism which is responsible for the rapid arousal from sleep and anesthesia in the brain. The results of their study suggest new strategies for the medical treatment of sleep disorders and recovery of consciousness in vegetative states.

22 Dec 2015

Study reveals new genetic factors linked to age-related macular degeneration

An international study of about 43,000 people has significantly expanded the number of genetic factors known to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older.

22 Dec 2015

Scientists identify 52 genetic variations associated with age-related macular degeneration

In one of the latest examples of precision medicine, teams of geneticists from nine countries, involving more than 100 scientists, analyzed the genes of more than 33,000 individuals in the hope of finding genetic variations responsible for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 or older.

22 Dec 2015

Roche announces availability of cobas HBVassay for use on cobas 4800 System

Roche announced today the commercial availability of the cobas HBVassay for use on the cobas 4800 System in countries accepting the CE mark. This new molecular diagnostic assay expands the available virology menu on the cobas 4800 System, improving system efficiency and providing testing flexibility that allows physicians to assess a patient's response to antiviral therapy.

22 Dec 2015

Bio Light's IOPtiMate system approved in Canada for treatment of glaucoma

Bio Light Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd., an emerging global ophthalmic company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of products and product candidates which address ophthalmic conditions, announced today that its IOPtiMate system for the treatment of glaucoma has been approved by the Canadian Medical Devices Bureau, allowing the Company to commercialize the surgical system in Canada.

21 Dec 2015

Roche's cobas HIV-1 viral load test approved by FDA for use on cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems

Roche announced today that it has received FDA approval for the cobas HIV-1 viral load test by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use on the cobas 6800 and cobas 8800 Systems. This HIV-1 viral load test is part of the next generation of Roche viral load tests, which clinicians use to manage the disease and treatment of patients infected with HIV-1.

21 Dec 2015

ALPHAEON announces acquisition of Rocol SA

ALPHAEON Corporation, a social commerce company and subsidiary to Strathspey Crown Holdings LLC, today announced its acquisition of Rocol SA, a leader in the commercialization of medical equipment across Latin America. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

18 Dec 2015

Harvard scientists link specific neurotransmitter in the brain with autistic behavior

In a discovery that could offer valuable new insights into understanding, diagnosing and even treating autism, Harvard scientists for the first time have linked a specific neurotransmitter in the brain with autistic behavior.

18 Dec 2015

Roche files direct de novo application to FDA for Anti-Mullerian assay

Roche announced today that it has filed a direct de novo application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a fully automated Anti-Mullerian (AMH) assay for use on Roche's full portfolio of laboratory analyzers. The determination of AMH is useful for the assessment of ovarian reserve in women presenting to infertility clinics for evaluation in conjunction with other clinical and laboratory findings.

17 Dec 2015

ALPHAEON completes acquisition of LENSAR

ALPHAEON Corporation, a social commerce company and subsidiary to Strathspey Crown Holdings LLC, today announced it has closed on its acquisition of LENSAR, Inc., a leading global developer and manufacturer of Femtosecond Lasers Systems (FLS), through a wholly owned subsidiary. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

17 Dec 2015