Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Children with potential ASD show preference for predictable movements

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience social communication impairments and engage in restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs).

8 Apr 2025

Semaglutide linked to higher risk of vision problems, FDA data analysis shows

Researchers from the University of Bern analyzed over 300,000 FDA reports and found semaglutide use was linked to a higher reporting rate of vision impairment. The findings call for further study into the ocular risks of this widely prescribed diabetes and weight loss drug.

8 Apr 2025

Babies as young as three months can sense their own heartbeat

Body signals such as heartbeat and breathing accompany us constantly, often unnoticed as background noise of our perception. Even in the earliest years of life, these signals are important as they contribute to the development of self-awareness and identity. However, until know little has been known about whether and how babies can perceive their own body signals. A recent study from Wiener Kinderstudien Lab at the University of Vienna demonstrates for the first time that babies as young as 3 months can perceive their own heartbeat. In addition, the team, headed by researchers from the University of Vienna, together with colleagues from the University of Potsdam and Royal Holloway University of London, also investigated for the first-time infants' perception of their own breathing and found developments during the first two years of life. The results are now published in the prestigious journal eLife. The perception of internal body signals is closely linked to emotional awareness, mental health, and self-perception. Early in life the ability to perceive one's own body signals may be particularly important, as it often forms the basis for interactions with caregivers - for example babies rely on their caregivers to respond appropriately to signs of hunger or discomfort. Moreover, the development of self-awareness and identity partly depends on the perception and experience of one's own body. The study shows that even 3-month-old babies can perceive their own heartbeat and that this ability remains relatively stable during the first two years of life. At the same time, the findings indicate that the perception of breathing improves significantly during the second year. Interestingly, the ability to perceive the heartbeat and breathing does not appear to be related - much like in adults. Measuring body awareness in babies is challenging, as, unlike adults, you cannot simply rely on verbal report. Therefore, the research team used innovative methods by tracking the infants' eye movements as they watched child-friendly figures. These figures moved either in synchrony with the child's heartbeat or breathing, or with a slight time delay. Results showed that even at an early age, babies recognize the correspondence between their own heartbeat or breathing rhythm and the animated figures. They looked longer at the screen when the figures were in synchrony than when they were delayed. "The babies must have recognized that the figures moved simultaneously with their heartbeat or breathing, and then they paid more attention," said the study's lead author, Markus Tünte from the University of Vienna. These findings open up exciting perspectives for future developmental psychology research. In particular, it is important to explore how early body awareness relates to the development of emotional and social skills, as well as the role parents play in shaping early body perception. In the long term, such research could be used to promote healthy body awareness and, consequently, the mental health of children.

8 Apr 2025

Faulty gene linked to increased risk of punctured lung in thousands

As many as one in 3,000 people could be carrying a faulty gene that significantly increases their risk of a punctured lung, according to new estimates from Cambridge researchers. Previous estimates had put this risk closer to one in 200,000 people.

7 Apr 2025

Research uncovers root cause of gland damage in Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects millions worldwide, especially women, causing unrelenting dryness of the mouth and eyes.

7 Apr 2025

Scientists unveil dynamic structure of protein key to vision

Scientists have for the first time looked deep into the protein structure that may determine our vision - and discovered that it is much more dynamic than previously thought.

4 Apr 2025

Mount Sinai launches AI center to revolutionize small molecule drug discovery

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has launched the AI Small Molecule Drug Discovery Center, a bold endeavor that harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize drug development.

2 Apr 2025

Misuse of nitrous oxide linked to rising deaths and hospitalizations

Despite a recent Food and Drug Administration warning against inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, deaths due to misusing the substance are on the rise in the United States.

2 Apr 2025

Macular thickness could predict postoperative delirium in older patients

Thickening of the macular layer of the eye's retina is associated with a greater risk of postoperative delirium for older patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthetic, reveals a study published online in the open access journal General Psychiatry.

2 Apr 2025

Breakthrough research reveals gut-eye connection in vision loss

Inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) encompasses various disorders characterized by progressive loss of retinal photoreceptor cells, ultimately leading to vision loss and blindness.

2 Apr 2025

Nighttime screen use linked to poorer sleep quality and shorter duration

Researchers examine how electronic screen use before bed affects sleep among adults.

2 Apr 2025

Virtual reality offers new approach for early Alzheimer's detection

Most people donning virtual reality (VR) goggles are seeking the thrill of being immersed in a fictitious video game world. But some are donning them for an entirely different experience: to help researchers identify those most at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

1 Apr 2025

Comprehensive AAV delivery map aids in advancing gene therapy

Gene therapy, a technique that is revolutionizing the treatment of multiple genetic conditions, including eye and muscle diseases and blood disorders, requires efficient and specific delivery of the genetic material to the tissue and cell type of interest.

1 Apr 2025

The evolution of OCT for retinal imaging and disease intervention

Dr. Yifan Jian explores the evolution of OCT, challenges in retinal imaging, and AI's potential in biophotonics, shaping the future of ophthalmic diagnostics.

From Avantier Inc. 1 Apr 2025

Scientists achieve breakthrough in eye movement detection technology

Eye tracking plays a critical role in the latest virtual and augmented reality headsets and is an important technology in the entertainment industry, scientific research, medical and behavioral sciences, automotive driving assistance and industrial engineering.

1 Apr 2025

Trump says he’ll stop health care fraudsters. Last time, he let them walk.

Five years ago, the CEO of one of the largest pain clinic companies in the Southeast was sentenced to more than three years in prison after being convicted in a $4 million illegal kickback scheme.

1 Apr 2025

Vitamin D monitoring during pregnancy and postpartum

Researchers determine the impact of vitamin D levels during pregnancy and their role in maternal and infant health outcomes.

1 Apr 2025

Scientists discover key genes for regenerating cells in the ear and eye

The same genes could hold the key to regenerating cells in the ear and eye, according to a new mouse study from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

1 Apr 2025

Study helps characterize how sleep deficiency may relate to Alzheimer's pathogenesis

New research reveals that lower proportions of specific sleep stages are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.

31 Mar 2025

Montana’s small pharmacies behind bill to corral pharmacy benefit managers

Montana's small, independent pharmacies say they're getting increasingly squeezed on reimbursements by pharmacy benefit managers — and are pushing an ambitious bill to rein in what they say are unfair practices by the powerful industry negotiators known as PBMs.

31 Mar 2025