Reduced vision and the brain’s processing speed could be linked, according to researchers from Tel Aviv University.

 

Visual crowding is the inability to recognize individual objects surrounded by other objects. This makes it impossible to read, for example, as single letters within words are rendered illegible, or the ability to recognize faces in a crowd is hampered. Until now, this phenomenon was attributed to a peripheral vision disorder.

 

Israeli researchers claim to have discovered a link between visual crowding and the accumulation of visual stimuli in the fovea. They studied 40 young individuals and 138 adults who were asked to situate the open part of the “E” to the right or the left of the letter, in various sizes and distances. The letter was surrounded by other letters.

 

People suffering from visual crowding had more difficulty identifying the right side of the “E” but were successful when they were exposed for longer periods. This means that they could be trained to reduce foveal crowding.

 

The researchers cited the case of a young subject who was having severe problems reading and who was unable to obtain a driver’s licence. After undergoing training, he was able to overcome the handicap. Not only did he get his licence but his academic results improved and he earned a university degree.

Source:

http://english.tau.ac.il/news/study_visual_crowding

 

A team of researchers from Singapore has developed a nanomedical treatment for glaucoma which is intended to replace eye drops.

 

This new approach was jointly developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). Applied directly to the eye through a painless injection, the new treatment ensures the delivery of latanoprost for six months.

 

The delivery system is made up of millions of nano-sized capsules, which are thousands of times smaller than a speck of dust and release their contents slowly over time. The researchers believe that older people, who often forget to administer their eye drops daily, will benefit from this new approach.

 

“It is estimated that at least ten per cent of blindness from glaucoma is directly caused by poor patient adherence to their prescribed medications,” said professorTina Wong, from the SERI. “Many patients find it difficult to adhere to their doctor’s prescribed regime for many reasons, such as forgetfulness, finding it too troublesome, or they lack understanding of the disease. The results in this clinical study will open up a new treatment modality for glaucoma other than taking daily eye drops, and will greatly enhance patient compliance and improve treatment outcomes.”

Source:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603092332.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over-aggressive vision correction may increase the risk of falling in older adults, according to Dr. David B. Elliott, who has received the Glenn A. Fry award for a study on the topic.

 

The researcher conducted a review of studies on the impact of blurred vision and vision correction on the risk of falling in older adults. Poor vision is a significant factor in the risk of falling in older people. Consequently, one would think that getting new glasses would reduce this risk. However, the opposite is often the case.

 

In a paper published in Optometry and Vision Science, Dr. Elliott refers to a study showing that older patients getting new glasses with a big change in vision prescription have difficulty adapting and are at risk of falling.

 

Dr. Elliott suggests that optometrists use a conservative approach when prescribing glasses for older patients and keep the same type of lens that their patients are used to. He also suggests that if a patient simply requests a new frame, without complaining of vision problems, optometrists should follow the clinical maxim that says “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

Sources:

http://journals.lww.com/optvissci/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2014&issue=06000&article=00003&type=abstract

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140523145133.htm

 

Several international organizations have joined forces to assess global awareness about diabetic retinopathy, its treatments and its consequences.

 

The key partners, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), will work in collaboration with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). These organizations will gather evidence on knowledge, policies, standards of care, and supportive services across 40 countries.

 

Phase I of the project will be comprised of 120 interviews in eight countries representative of various socio-economic statuses. Phase II will be the implementation of a survey in 40 countries, which will be formulated based on the data gathered in Phase I.

 

“Unless we act now to stem the diabetes epidemic and provide joined up services that enable people with diabetes to be checked and treated for diabetic retinopathy then the number of blind people in the world will increase dramatically in forthcoming years,” said Peter Ackland, chief executive of IAPB.

 

The project will culminate in the production of a barometer report and a compendium of resources designed to increase awareness, as well as to develop better public policies and better practices for managing diabetic retinopathy and vision loss.

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/276726.php

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ProDesign International A/S and Architectures SAS (founder of the FACE A FACE and WOOW brands) announced the merger of their companies under the banner of the Danish private Equity fund Erhvervsinvest.

 

The merger of these two companies, which are complementing each other through their positioning in the market and their organization as well as the pooling of their mutual assets, will accelerate the development of the two companies and enable the group to strategically position itself as a strong player on the market of independent designer brands.

 

ProDesign International A/S and Architectures SAS account for sales of 95% and 85% respectively on export markets. The expected sales of the new group for 2014 should reach about 40 M€ ($58,880 M).

 

Dion Eriksen, CEO, ProDesign International comments: “FACE A FACE is undoubtedly one of the strongest independent designer brands in the world and will together with the product portfolio of ProDesign establish an even stronger position in the market. We look very much forward to benefit by the high experience each company contributes with.”

 

Pascal Jaulent, President of Architectures declares: “The common design culture and international position of ProDesign and FACE A FACE is a great opportunity for the development of our brands. This strategic alliance will also reinforce our capacities to adapt to the future challenges of the optical market.”

 

Source: FACE A FACE and ProDesign Denmark