Medical News Today: Eye Health

Eye Health / Blindness News From Medical News Today Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:29:40 +0100 Windows To The Mind The eyes are the window into the soul - or at least the mind, according to a new paper published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Measuring the diameter of the pupil, the part of the eye that changes size to let in more light, can show what a person is paying attention to... Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST Researchers Develop Gene Therapy That Could Correct A Common Form Of Blindness A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults. The technique works by replacing a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal working copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function... Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PST Retinitis Pigmentosa In Dogs Cured By Gene Therapy Members of a University of Pennsylvania research team have shown that they can prevent, or even reverse, a blinding retinal disease, X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa, or XLRP, in dogs. The disease in humans and dogs is caused by defects in the RPGR gene and results in early, severe and progressive vision loss. It is one of the most common inherited forms of retinal degeneration in man... Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PST Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness Shows Promise In Trials The first published results of trials using cells derived from human embryonic stem cells appear to show they have passed an initial safety hurdle... Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 PST How Protein In Teardrops Annihilates Harmful Bacteria A disease-fighting protein in our teardrops has been tethered to a tiny transistor, enabling UC Irvine scientists to discover exactly how it destroys dangerous bacteria. The research could prove critical to long-term work aimed at diagnosing cancers and other illnesses in their very early stages... Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST Risk Of Blindness Halved Over Last Decade Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequent cause of blindness in the Western World. A report from the University of Copenhagen and Glostrup Hospital in Denmark shows the number of new cases of blindness and severe visual loss in Denmark has been halved during the last ten years... Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST Invention Makes Children Eye Exams Inexpensive, Comprehensive, And Simple To Administer Eighty-five percent of children's learning is related to vision. Yet in the U.S., 80 percent of children have never had an eye exam or any vision screening before kindergarten, statistics say. When they do, the vision screenings they typically receive can detect only one or two conditions... Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PST Extended Pain Relief For Laser Eye Surgery Patients Via Contact Lenses Scientists are reporting development of contact lenses that could provide a continuous supply of anesthetic medication to the eyes of patients who undergo laser eye surgery - an advance that could relieve patients of the burden of repeatedly placing drops of medicine into their eyes every few hours for several days. Their report appears in ACS' journal Langmuir... Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST Glaucoma Origins May Lead Potential Cure Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Nearly 4 million Americans have the disorder, which affects 70 million worldwide. There is no cure and no early symptoms. Once vision is lost, it's permanent... Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST Vitamin D Could Help Combat The Effects Of Aging In Eyes Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have found that vitamin D reduces the effects of ageing in mouse eyes and improves the vision of older mice significantly... Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PST