How the Brain Compresses What the Eye Sees

Our brains, like computers, compress image “files.” “The images captured by light-sensitive cells in the retina are on the order of a megapixel. The brain does not have the transmission or memory capacity to deal with a lifetime of megapixel images,” notesMedicalNewsToday. “Instead, the brain must select out only the most vital information for understanding the visual world. In the online issue ofCurrent Biology, a Johns Hopkins team ...describes what appears to be the next step in understanding how the brain compresses visual information.”

007 Goes Optic OR More on the Optic Connection to WikiLeaks

The JamaicaObserver reported "United States has again found itself in the line of heavy criticism as a result of confidential diplomatic cables published by the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks and a British newspaper for what appeared to be an attempt four years ago by Washington to discredit the Cuban healthcare system, including the long-running Jamaica/ Cuba Eyecare Programme. In the cables published on Friday, US diplomatic staff in Cuba are said to have scoured for 'human interest stories and other news that shatters the myth of Cuban medical prowess, which has become a key feature of the regime's foreign policy and its self-congratulatory propaganda.'

"The cables were sent at a time in May 2006 when the eyecare programme, which was running for just over a year, was being heavily criticised locally and calls were being made for its suspension because of serious complications, including blindness claimed by some patients after surgery in Cuba."

CEO and CFO of ABO/NCLE Accused of Embezzling $1.5 Million

Carletta Stewart, the former CFO of the ABO/NCLE who was fired in August, has been accused of embezzling $1.5 million from the association. Investigators believe that Stewart and Robey Hughes, the former CEO of the association who was arrested on four counts of embezzlement in June, inflated the association's expenses and pocketed the difference, according to a story posted on WashingtonPost. ABO fired Robey earlier this year. His detention led to the seven charges against Stewart, who turned herself in Thursday past.

Size Does Matter, Says New Study!!!

MedicalNewsToday reports that, contrary what you may have heard, size does matter. There's proof. British scientists measured it after asking participants to perform specific tasks:

Wellcome Trust scientists have shown for the first time that exactly how we see our environment depends on the size of the visual part of our brain.

We are all familiar with the idea that our thoughts and emotions differ from one person to another, but most people assume that how we perceive the visual world is usually very similar from person to person. However, the primary visual cortex - the area at the back of the brain responsible for processing what we see in the world around us - is known to differ in size by up to three times from one individual to the next.

Now, researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London) have shown for the first time that the size of this area affects how we perceive our environment. Their study is published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

New Way of "Seeing"? That's What He Said

"University of Manchester scientists have found that a new type of light sensitive cell (photoreceptor) in the eye helps the brain measure brightness, " according to the MedicalNewsToday post "Manchester Scientists Discover New Way of Seeing." The posting goes on: "This mechanism, which works alongside the rod and cone photoreceptors, may be important for people with certain types of blindness."

Aging Boomers Good for Optical Industry

"The American population is quickly becoming more elderly. So demand for visual aids is expected to grow considerably. But eye-care technology is improving as well, allowing each optometrist to care for more patients. Still, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects more than 24 percent growth, or 8,500 new jobs, for the profession through 2018," according to a story in U.S. News & World. Logically one could easily assume what's good for the goose is also good for the gander, meaning that opticians and op-tech should also watch as their opportunities blossom during the next eight years.

Economic Cost of Vision Loss in the U.S.--$51 Billion

Source: CDC's Vision Health Initiative

 More Statistics about U.S. Vision Health from VHI

• Approximately 14 million Americans aged 12 years and older have self-reported visual impairment defined as distance visual acuity of 20/50 or worse. Among them, more than 11 million Americans could have improved their vision to 20/40 or better with refractive correction.
• In 2002, the age—adjusted prevalence of self—reported visual impairment among Americans aged 50 years and older with and without diabetes was 23.5% and 12.4%, respectively.
• Approximately 11% of Americans aged 20 years and older with diabetes had some form of visual impairment (3.8% uncorrectable and 7.2% correctable). Among those without diabetes, 5.9% had some form of Visual Impairment (VI) (1.4% uncorrectable and 4.5% correctable).
• 3.4 million (3%) Americans aged 40 years and older are either blind (having visual acuity [VA] of 20/200 or less or a visual field of less than 20 degrees) or visually impaired (having VA of 20/40 or less).
• 1,600,000 Americans aged 50 years and older have age related macular degeneration
• 5.3 million people (about 2.5% of all people) aged 18 years and older have diabetic retinopathy.
• 20.5 million people have cataract (about 16%) among Americans aged 40 years and older
• 2.2 million people have glaucoma (about 2% ) among Americans aged 40 years and older
• Only half of the estimated 61 million adults in the U. S. classified as being at high risk for serious vision loss, visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months
• Approximately 8.2% of Americans with self-reported vision problems did not have health insurance. Only 4% of Americans without health insurance reported having optional vision insurance, compared with 58% of Americans with private health insurance, 44% of Americans with public health insurance, and 54% of Canadians.
• American without health insurance had the lowest age-adjusted rate of use of eye care services (42%) compared with Americans with private health insurance (67%) or public health insurance (55%) and Canadians (56%).

New Laser Surgery in Works

A WebMD posting notes that “an experimental image-guided laser technique could change the way cataract surgery is performed for decades to come. Experts say guided lasers will allow eye surgeons to perform cataract surgeries in less time with more precision, meaning that more patients could end up with 20/20 vision.”

Not Just Windows to Your Soul

“ By digitally photographing the tiny, hair-like blood vessels in the back of our eyes, researchers can now look directly at how small blood vessels like those that bring blood to the heart respond to air pollution,” according to MedicalNewsToday.

Eye Injury Stops Middleweight

BoxingNews reports that “WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KO’s) is still having problems with his injured right eye. Kessler, 31, dropped out of the Super Six tournament recently due to his complaints of not being able to see well out of his right eye, which he injured in his first Super Six tournament bout a year ago against American Andre Ward in November 2009.”

U.S. Prez Honors Two Eye "Guys"

According to a press release from the National Eye Institute, “The White House has honored two members of the National Eye Institute (NEI) research community with one of its most prestigious awards. Brian P. Brooks, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the National Eye Institute (NEI) Intramural Research Program and chief of the NEI Unit on Pediatric, Developmental, and Genetic Ophthalmology, and Doris Y. Tsao, Ph.D., an NEI grantee and assistant professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), were among a distinguished group of 85 researchers selected to receive the 2009 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).”

Luxie's Stock Rating Slips, according to Morg Stan

Morgan Stanley analysts downgraded the stock ratings for Luxottica and Bulgari, according to a posting from ADPNews. The rating for the eyewear retailer's stock dropped to “underweight” and the luxury jeweller's slipped to "equal weight" from overweight.

Trunk Shows on Rise

"Retailers and ECPs are rediscovering the trunk show as a means of deepening relationships with patients. For suppliers, taking part in the events means building better bridges with their accounts, getting a feel for the industry and expressing the brand’s point of view to customers." That's the report from a VisionMonday report.