Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Transcranial magnetic stimulation enhances visual abilities in healthy adults

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an international team led by researchers from the Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (CNRS / Inserm / UPMC) has succeeded in enhancing the visual abilities of a group of healthy subjects.

6 Jun 2012

BioInvent, ThromboGenics announce results from TB-402 Phase IIb trial on VTE

ThromboGenics NV and co-development partner BioInvent International announce today the results from a Phase IIb trial comparing TB-402, a long acting anticoagulant, against rivaroxaban, an oral anticoagulant.

5 Jun 2012

Ancient berry could protect against diabetic retinopathy

The ancient Tibetan goji berry could help fight blindness caused by long-term diabetes according to studies conducted by University of Sydney researchers.

5 Jun 2012

Scientists discover neural mechanism for conscious perception

When people close their eyes, they can form mental images of things that exist only in their minds. Neuroscientists studying this phenomenon at medical schools in the Texas Medical Center believe that there may be a way to use these mental images to help some of the estimated 39 million people worldwide who are blind.

5 Jun 2012

Algal DHA supplementation benefits during pregnancy and infancy

Positive results from clinical trials exploring algal DHA supplementation during pregnancy and infancy were presented this week at the 10th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) – an international scientific society focused on research of dietary fats, oils and lipids.

2 Jun 2012

Non-invasive stimulation of cerebellum helps individuals learn new walking patterns

In a step towards improving rehabilitation for patients with walking impairments, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found that non-invasive stimulation of the cerebellum, an area of the brain known to be essential in adaptive learning, helped healthy individuals learn a new walking pattern more rapidly.

2 Jun 2012

New 'ESASO Course Series' for ophthalmologists

In the new book series 'ESASO Course Series', the essentials of the courses of the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO) are made available to interested ophthalmologists, optometrists, technicians and residents all over the world.

1 Jun 2012

Mayo Clinic offers new technology for treatment of dry eye

Mayo Clinic in Arizona is the first medical center in Arizona and the Southwest to provide a new technology that treats dry eye by targeting blocked eyelid glands. Blocked glands can inhibit production of oil that is necessary for healthy tears needed to lubricate the eyes.

31 May 2012

DHA prevents age-related vision loss in lab tests

An omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, known as DHA, prevented age-related vision loss in lab tests, demonstrates recently published medical research from the University of Alberta.

31 May 2012

TAU researcher develops new antibodies to target and destroy cancer cells

Because cancer cells grow very quickly, chemotherapy is designed to target cells whose numbers grow rapidly. But this treatment comes with a heavy price - many healthy cells essential for body functions are also targeted and killed by the toxin. This dangerous side-effect has prompted researchers to seek better and more selective ways to kill cancer cells inside the body.

31 May 2012

Pituitary tumors may lead to glaucomatous changes

Certain tumors of the pituitary gland are associated with glaucomatous abnormalities of the optic nerve head, such as enlarged beta zone, an international research team reports.

30 May 2012

Study reveals new evidence of trans-cranial bright light's effect to brain functions

A recent placebo-controlled study reveals new evidence of trans-cranial bright light's effect to brain functions when administered through the ear. Bright light stimulation was found to increase activity in brain areas related to processing of visual sensory information and tactile stimuli. The findings constitute the first ever published scientific article about functional modulation of the brain with bright light delivered to the brain through the ears. The study was published today May 29th, 2012 in the World Journal of Neuroscience.

30 May 2012

G8 summit 'missed opportunity' to make real commitment to long-term food security

"This G8 summit was, yet again, a missed opportunity for international leaders to make a real commitment to long-term food security and support for African and developing world farmers," Eva Clayton, a former member of Congress and former assistant director general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), writes in this post in the Huffington Post's "The World" blog.

30 May 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear Cataract Master bridges gap between wet lab training and patient surgery

Phacoemulsification cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed eye surgeries in the United States, with 1.5 million procedures performed each year. It is also one of the most complex procedures to learn. A new, highly innovative, computer-based simulation tool, the Mass. Eye and Ear Cataract Master, bridges the learning gap that residents and ophthalmologists new to phaco must navigate prior to performing actual surgery.

30 May 2012

Glia seem to play two opposing roles in protecting nerve cells from damage

A protein produced by the central nervous system's support cells seems to play two opposing roles in protecting nerve cells from damage, an animal study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests: Decreasing its activity seems to trigger support cells to gear up their protective powers, but increasing its activity appears to be key to actually use those powers to defend cells from harm.

30 May 2012

Neural protein plays two opposing roles

A protein produced by the central nervous system’s support cells seems to play two opposing roles in protecting nerve cells from damage, an animal study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests: Decreasing its activity seems to trigger support cells to gear up their protective powers, but increasing its activity appears to be key to actually use those powers to defend cells from harm.

29 May 2012

Abbott to highlight latest investigational research findings on HUMIRA at EULAR 2012

Abbott scientists and independent researchers will highlight the latest investigational research findings on HUMIRA (adalimumab) at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Congress in Berlin, Germany, from 6-9 June, 2012.

29 May 2012

UCLA Face Transplantation Program seeks candidates for clinical trial

The UCLA Health System has launched the UCLA Face Transplantation Program, the first surgical program of its kind in the western United States and one of only a handful in the nation.

25 May 2012

Study examines effects of UV-blocking contact lenses on macular pigment density

Blocking the transmission of ultraviolet light (UV) through a contact lens may have an effect in maintaining the eye's macular pigment density, according to new research presented today at the 2012 British Contact Lens Association Clinical Conference. Existing research suggests that a higher level of macular pigment appears to have a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of severe vision loss for people over the age of 55.

25 May 2012