Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jun 2012
Comparative Study Clinical TrialQuantification of retinal neural loss in patients with neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis with or without optic neuritis using Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography.
We compared retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thickness measurements in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) with or without a history of optic neuritis, and in controls using Fourier-domain (FD) optical coherence tomography (OCT). ⋯ Although FD-OCT RNFL and macular thickness measurements can reveal subclinical or optic neuritis-related abnormalities in NMO-spectrum and MS patients, abnormalities are predominant in the macula of MS patients and in RFNL measurements in NMO patients. The correlation between OCT and VF abnormalities was stronger in NMO than in MS, suggesting the two conditions differ regarding structural and functional damage. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01024985.).
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · May 2012
The effect of central visual impairment on manual prehension when tasked with transporting-to-place an object accurately to a new location.
To investigate whether differences exist between visually impaired and normal vision participants when completing a visually guided manual prehension task of transporting-to-place an object accurately to a new location. ⋯ Despite the increased time taken by visually impaired participants to complete the task, they were still less accurate than normals when placing the object. Decrements in movement control were most associated with loss in the central 5° when compared to the central 10° and 20° of the VF, which was evidenced in the deceleration/"online" component of the movement.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Apr 2012
Comparative StudyNasal ciliary beat frequency and beat pattern in retinal ciliopathies.
The cilium in photoreceptors appears ultrastructurally very similar to the nasal ciliated epithelium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nasal ciliary beat frequency and beat pattern in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Usher syndrome type II and compare it with that of healthy control subjects. ⋯ The nasal CBF is diminished in patients with Usher syndrome type II, whereas it remains normal in simplex RP patients. These results add evidence to the fact that Usher syndrome could be a primary ciliary disorder.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Mar 2012
Topical ocular sodium 4-phenylbutyrate rescues glaucoma in a myocilin mouse model of primary open-angle glaucoma.
Mutations in the myocilin gene (MYOC) are the most common known genetic cause of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The purpose of this study was to determine whether topical ocular sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA) treatment rescues glaucoma phenotypes in a mouse model of myocilin-associated glaucoma (Tg-MYOC(Y437H) mice). ⋯ Topical ocular PBA reduces glaucomatous phenotypes in Tg-MYOC(Y437H) mice, most likely by reducing myocilin accumulation and ER stress in the TM. Topical ocular PBA could become a novel treatment for POAG patients with myocilin mutations.
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Mar 2012
Comparative StudyVisual acuity is reduced in alpha 7 nicotinic receptor knockout mice.
Nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) are part of a heterogeneous family of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that are widely expressed in the visual system. The impact of α7 homomeric nAChRs on visual function was investigated using mutant mice lacking the α7 nicotinic receptor subunit. ⋯ These findings indicate that the absence of the α7 nicotinic subunit reduces visual acuity. Because the cortical output has an abnormal spatial resolution but retinal output is preserved, it can be concluded that the low visual acuity was due to a deficit specifically present in the visual cortex.