Visual Impairment News and Research

Latest Visual Impairment News and Research

Novartis announces winners of 2018 eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award

Novartis announced the winners of the 2018 eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award for nonprofit eye health initiatives at EURETINA 2018.

25 Sep 2018

Multi-year study data shows impact of new soft contact lens to slow myopia progression in children

New four-year study data shows the significant impact of a pioneering contact lens management approach to slowing the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children, including those whose treatment begins later.

19 Sep 2018

Study shows steep inequality in usage of low vision devices

Blacks and Hispanics who have trouble seeing are missing out on the low vision technology that can help them read, drive and keep up social connections.

7 Sep 2018

Novel tests to better assess earlier stages of AMD

The European MACUSTAR consortium is conducting a multi-country clinical study on age-related macular degeneration coordinated by the University of Bonn.

29 Aug 2018

UK’s leading sight loss charity invites applications from brightest minds in ophthalmic research

Fight for Sight, the UK’s leading sight loss charity, has announced that the Project Grants Awards and the recently established Primer Fellowship call is now open for applications.

17 Aug 2018

Study examines how a person adapts to visual field loss after stroke

A new University of Liverpool study, published in Wiley Brain and Behaviour, examines the factors that influence how a person adapts to visual field loss following stroke.

13 Aug 2018

Saving sight of millions by making eye injections safe and comfortable

Two eye surgeons have written a first-of-its-kind book to save the sight of millions of patients around the world by making eye injections safe and comfortable.

7 Aug 2018

EMA grants orphan designation to selumetinib for treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1

AstraZeneca and Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan designation to selumetinib, a MEK 1/2 inhibitor, for the treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).

3 Aug 2018

Even after lobectomy a child's brain rewires to compensate for the lost parts

An amazing new case study reports on an 11-year-old boy, code named UD (to protect his privacy), who underwent a procedure to remove a part of his brain that resulted in the rewiring of the rest of it over time.

1 Aug 2018

Researchers investigate recessive genetic disorder that leads to childhood blindness

Our genome is made up of 20,000 genes, all of which may cause disease. At present, 4,141 genes have been identified as being responsible for genetic abnormalities, leaving around 16,000 genes with unknown implication in disease.

23 Jul 2018

Fight for Sight funds research to develop new drop-based drug for patients with wet AMD

Eye research charity Fight for Sight has today announced funding for a research project that could help see an end to eye injections for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

21 Jun 2018

Scientists discover new mechanism controlling multiple sclerosis risk

While the DNA sequence remains the same throughout a person's life, the expression of the encoded genes may change with time and contribute to disease development in genetically predisposed individuals.

19 Jun 2018

Scientists discover unique feature in the 'antennae' of light-sensing neurons

Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands have discovered that the antennae-like structures on light-sensing neurons, called photoreceptors, have a unique feature not observed in the 'antennae' or cilia of other types of cells.

14 Jun 2018

NUS researchers find novel pathway to regulate blood pressure

New and better ways to fight hypertension and low blood pressure may be in the offing, thanks to the National University of Singapore scientists' discovery of how our blood pressure is controlled.

30 May 2018

New studies show potential for using genetic information to create personalized vision care

Two new studies demonstrate potential future opportunities to use genetic information to treat vision conditions. The new studies are being presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sunday, April 29 – Thursday, May 3.

30 Apr 2018

Early life stress impacts how the sensory systems develop, review shows

Life needs stimulation. However, overstimulation can cause exhaustion and illness. During specific sensitive periods early in life, stress can even affect later mental health.

16 Apr 2018

FDA authorizes marketing of first AI device to detect diabetic retinopathy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first medical device to use artificial intelligence to detect greater than a mild level of the eye disease diabetic retinopathy in adults who have diabetes.

12 Apr 2018

New trial to test stem cell-based retinal implant for dry age-related macular degeneration

Physicians and researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have collaborated with other California institutions to show that a first-in-kind stem cell-based retinal implant is feasible for use in people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration.

4 Apr 2018

Cataract surgery can be safely performed on Ebola survivors with eye disease

Cataract surgery can be safely performed on Ebola virus disease survivors with impaired vision, Emory Eye Center ophthalmologists and 40 colleagues around the world report.

4 Apr 2018

Stem cell-derived ocular cells treat severe AMD

In July 2015, 86-year-old Douglas Waters developed severe age-related macular degeneration (AMD). He struggled to see things clearly, even when up close.

19 Mar 2018