Alex stood in front of a mirror observing himself. "What color?" he inquired of no one in particular. He stared at his reflection a little longer before repeating the question: "What color?" Alex was a gray parrot purchased from a pet shop by psychologist Irene Pepperberg in 1977. To date, Alex is perhaps the only […]
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the principal cause of vision loss in industrialized countries, with nearly 20 million people affected in Europe in 2020. Although identified as a risk factor, until now it was impossible to evaluate retinal omega-3 fatty acid deficits. A research team involving scientists from INRAE, INSERM, Université Jean-Monnet Saint-Etienne, Université de […]
Progressive vision loss, and eventually blindness, are the hallmarks of juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) or CLN3-Batten disease. New research shows how the mutation associated with the disease could potentially lead to degeneration of light sensing photoreceptor cells in the retina, and subsequent vision loss. “The prominence and early onset of retinal degeneration in JNCL […]
Scientists have identified a group of drugs that may help stop a leading cause of vision loss after making an unexpected discovery that overturns a fundamental belief about DNA. The drugs, known as Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors, or NRTIs, are commonly used to treat HIV. The new discovery suggests that they may be useful against […]
University of Melbourne public health leader and ophthalmologist, Professor Hugh Taylor said 2020 has presented additional challenges with COVID-19 leading to reduced access to eye screening, examination and surgery, all resulting in greater backlogs and patient waitlists. On the plus side, COVID-19 has led to a shift in the provision of soap, washing facilities and […]
To get a better look at the world around them, animals constantly are in motion. Primates and people use complex eye movements to focus their vision (as humans do when reading, for instance); birds, insects, and rodents do the same by moving their heads, and can even estimate distances that way. Yet how these movements […]
Humans rely dominantly on their eyesight. Losing vision means inability to read, recognize faces or find objects. Macular degeneration is one of the major causes of visual impairment around the globe; close to 200 million people are affected. Photoreceptors in the retina are responsible for capturing the light coming from the environment. Diseased photoreceptors lose […]
Nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, can inhibit aggressive cell transformations during wound healing and may be key to the development of therapies to treat fibrotic eye diseases that impair vision, according to a new Mount Sinai study published on Thursday, April 2, in Stem Cell Reports. The findings apply to a condition in which […]
Missing a single ophthalmology appointment over a two-year period was associated with decreased visual acuity for patients with macular degeneration—a leading cause of permanent vision loss in the elderly—according to a new Penn Medicine study. The findings, published today in JAMA Ophthalmology, suggest that more attention should be paid to ensuring visit adherence for this […]
