Anti-VEGF Drugs Helping AMD Battle, Says Study

"A treatment introduced less than 10 years ago has already made a difference in the number of Americans losing their vision and being admitted to nursing homes, according to a new study," notes Reuters. "Two Duke University economists looked at Medicare beneficiaries with so-called 'wet' macular degeneration and found those diagnosed after the introduction of anti-VEGF drugs were less likely to go blind and less likely to move into long-term care...Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the number one cause of blindness in the U.S. affecting older adults, usually after age 65. Most AMD patients have the dry form of the disease, but about 10 percent have wet AMD, which progresses more quickly than the dry form." Read more.

Dead Cone Cells Kill Rod Cells

“There are two major light receptor cells in the mammalian eye: rods and cones. New research by scientists from Duke University have shown that dying cone cells can trigger the demise of healthy rod cells, leading to the loss of vision,” according to Medical News Today. “The study by Kyoung-in Cho and colleagues, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, showed that when a multifunctional protein known as 'Ran-binding protein 2' (RanBP2) is removed from cone cells it causes not only those cells to die but also results in the demise of the healthy rod cells in the eye. The authors also show that the rod and cone cells undergo a cascade of distinct and unusual events as they are dying. The demise of these cells can play a part in diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).” Read more.

Ultra-Slim CL Case Wins Award from Duke University

"The $50,000 grand prize of the 14th-annual Duke Start-Up Challenge [from Duke University] was awarded to Refresh Innovations—the maker of an ultra-slim, all-in-one contact lens case and solution package," notes the Duke Chronicler. "Three teams presented their business plans to a group of 15 judges at the competition’s final round Thursday evening. The other two finalists were Camras Vision, which makes a shunt to treat glaucoma, and Refrakt, which offers a portable platform for treating wastewater produced by fracking. The event—held in Geneen Auditorium in the Fuqua School of Business—marked the end of this year’s student entrepreneurship contest, which began in the Fall." Read more.

Stroboscopic Training Improves Performance, Says Duke U. Study

Stroboscopic training, performing a physical activity while using eyewear that simulates a strobe-like experience, reportedly increases visual short-term memory retention, and the effects last for 24 hours. Participants in a Duke University study engaged in physical activities, such as throwing a baseball,  while using either specialized eyewear that limits vision to only brief snapshots or while using eyewear with clear lenses that provides uninterrupted vision. Participants from the Duke community, including varsity athletes, completed a computer-based visual memory test before and after the physical activities. The study found that participants who trained with the strobe eyewear gained a boost in visual memory abilities. Participants completed a memory test that required them to note the identity of eight letters of the alphabet that were briefly displayed on a computer screen. After a variable delay, participants were asked to recall one of the eight letters. On easy-level trials, the recall prompt came immediately after the letters disappeared, but on more difficult trials, the prompt came as late as 2.5 seconds following the display. Because participants did not know which letter they would be asked to recall, they had to retain all of the items in memory. Read more about the study.

Duke Sets Up National Vision Center for Athletes

"An eye care visionary has set his sights on establishing the first national center for sports vision," according to The Chronicle. "Although sports-related eye injuries can have a significant impact on an athlete’s career, the Duke Sports Vision Center for Excellence is the only organization in the country equipped to care for athletes from diagnosis to rehabilitation, said Dr. Terry Kim, director of ophthalmology fellowship programs and associate director of cornea and refractive surgery services. The center is currently housed throughout the Duke Eye Center, but Kim said he hopes to unite these services in one building and to expand vision care to military service members with acute eye damage." Read more.