Motion Induced Blindness

Motion Induced Blindness

This illusion is just too good! Click on the title above to see more. DM

Autism Surge Due To Diagnostic Changes, Analysis Finds

Autism Surge Due To Diagnostic Changes, Analysis Finds  i

A new study suggests that changes to autism diagnosis criteria may be more to blame for rising rates of the developmental disorder than anything else....Since the 1960s, autism prevalence rates have skyrocketed from 4 in 10,000 children to a current reported rate of 1 in 88. The reason behind the rise, however, has remained unclear....

 

Fish Oil Prevents Age-Related Loss Of Vision

.....Loss of vision due to age can potentially be prevented by DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish. The study, which was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science demonstrated that lab models fed with DHA did not accumulate the toxic molecule that usually builds up in the retina with age and therefore preventing age-related loss of vision.....

Long-term follow-up of bilateral botulinum toxin injections versus bilateral recessions of the medial rectus muscles for treatment of infantile esotropia

51 Medical records of infants <24 months treated for esotropia with either botulinum toxin injection (botulinum group N=25) or bilateral medial rectus muscle recessions (surgery group N=26) were reviewed. Minimum follow-up was 48 months, ....Success was defined as alignment with 10^Δ of orthophoria without surgery (botulinum group) or without reoperation (surgery group) ......The failure rate was similar in the botulinum (32%) and surgery (23%) groups .... Gross stereopsis was demonstrable in 10 of 15 patients in the botulinum group and 9 of 13 in the surgery group ..

Comments: So what they are saying is that about 1/3 of the patients treated failed and 1/3 of the patients had no gross stereopsis. .... also although not above but noted in the full abstract several of the patients needed a second injection of botulinum toxin. Surgery should not be the initial treatment of choice. Ophthalmologists in Europe do not perform the same number of strabismus surgeries as in the US. Why is that? Do they know about the disappointing outcomes and try alternative treatments beforehand? DM

 

How a movie changed one man’s vision forever

....Bruce Bridgeman lived with a flat view of the world, until a trip to the cinema unexpectedly rewired his brain to see the world in 3D. The question is how it happened.....

 Comments: Can watching 3D movies improve your ability to see in 3D? Apparently for this gentleman....yes! Read more about it by clicking on the title above. DM 

A systematic review of evidence for the effectiveness of practitioner-based complementary and alternative therapies in the management of rheumatic diseases: rheumatoid arthritis.

.... The very limited evidence available indicates that for none of the practitioner-based complementary therapies considered here is there good evidence of efficacy or effectiveness in the management of RA.....

By George, He’s Got It!

By George, He’s Got It! 

Read this blog. It is always awesome!

Here’s George.  You might call him a geriatric patient because of his age, but he is spry and his sense of humor hasn’t lost a beat.  Yet over the past few years he’s been progressively bothered by double vision.  His optometrist referred George to me because he was already up to 12^ base out in his glasses with 2^ vertical, with no end in sight to chasing prism.  I’m not opposed to prism, by any means, though I view it as a support that positions a patient to succeed more readily in undertaking active therapeutic procedures.  As you can see, when George is asked to fixate a distance target or read the acuity chart, he adopts a position with his chin upward, allowing him to maintain his eyes in a relatively downward position.....

Eye Disease in the USA

The paragraph below is from the latest Review of Ophthalmology. The statistical compilation may be useful....

2012 UPDATE TO U.S. VISION REPORT REVEALS INCREASE IN EYE DISEASE PREVALENCE. 

The number of individuals age 40 and older with vision impairment and blindness has increased 23% since the year 2000, according to Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute’s 2012 update of the “Vision Problems in the U.S.” report. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University conducted the study<http://whatcounts.jobson.com/t?r=7&c=33902&l=120&ctl=4EAE2:2B3B134CB8EBBCFB9824BE445E0E48DE&>, which provides prevalence rates and estimates cases of age-related eye conditions. The four most common eye diseases have seen alarming increases since 2000: 25% increase in AMD in people age 50 and older, 19% increase in cataracts in people age 40 and older, 22% increase in glaucoma in people age 40, and 89% increase in diabetic retinopathy in people age 40 and older). While further cost information is being developed, a preliminary update to the 2007 Prevent Blindness America “Economic Impact of Vision Problems” report shows a $1 billion increase in costs of excess medical care expenditures, informal care and health-related quality of life related to visual impairment and blindness. A new searchable database<http://whatcounts.jobson.com/t?r=7&c=33902&l=120&ctl=4EAE2:2B3B134CB8EBBCFB9824BE445E0E48DE&> housed on the Prevent Blindness American website enables users to research a wide range of information including eye disease and condition numbers broken down by state, age, sex, and race, and provides comparisons across disease conditions."

Comments: This was emailed to me by our head information resources guru at ICO, Ms. Christine Weber. She always sends me interesting stuff! DM

8 Mental Illnesses That Are More Common Than You Think

...Everybody’s crazy. No really, everyone. While depression and anxiety disorders are the most treated mental illnesses in the United States, there are a host of lesser known issues that affect people in divergent ways. Whether you’re a sufferer yourself or know someone who is, always practice kindness when dealing with others — and check out these eight mental illnesses are more common than you think....

Comments: Read more by clicking the title above. DM

Identifying Food Triggers for Migraines

Identifying Food Triggers for Migraines

1.) Alcohol

2.) Caffeine

3.) Chocolate

4.)....click on the above title to read more! 

Illinois College of Optometry Announces the Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging

  ...The Illinois College of Optometry is proud to announce the founding of the Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Vision and Aging, a new facility devoted to the vision care needs of the aging population.

The Center, located within the Illinois Eye Institute on the ICO campus, will ultimately have four essential functions: to promote optometry students' and practitioners' increased knowledge and understanding of the inter-relatedness of aging and vision care; to provide vision care, counseling and support services for older adults and underserved communities in and around Chicago; to develop ongoing relationships with selected geriatric care facilities in the Chicago area for education and patient care services; and to sponsor vision-related geriatric research. 

"The over-80 population is growing four times faster than any other segment of the population," Dr. Rosenbloom says. "ICO's reputation in terms of current and future education offers the opportunity to elevate standards and raise awareness for providing professional vision care to this age group. This may lead in time to the development of a Geriatric Care Patient Service Model, including care for many underserved individuals in assisted living facilities and in nursing homes." ......

.....The Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), founded in 1872 by Dr. Henry Olin, provides excellence in optometric clinical education and is one of the world's leading optometric institutions. ICO offers aspiring optometrists the education and experience needed to meet the challenges of a changing health care environment and become leaders who will champion for patients and the profession alike. Located in Chicago, ICO has a long and distinguished legacy as the oldest continually operating educational facility in the world dedicated solely to the teaching of optometrists. For more information about the Illinois College of Optometry, visit www.ico.edu .

California Optometric Association CE @ Home June 2012

California Optometric Association CE @ Home June 2012

The California Optometric Association features online CE for its members. This article was featured in a recent online offering by the COA. Please note that my private practice is now at Lyons Family Eye Care. DM

Pediatric/Vision Therapy Specialist Now at Lyons Family Eye Care

Dr. Maino Now at Lyons Family Eye Care

Dominick M. Maino, OD, MEd, FAAO, FCOVD-A will now be seeing patients at Lyons Family Eye Care on Chicago's north side.

Dr. Stephanie Lyons is the chief optometrist and owner of Lyons Family Eye Care.  She is a graduate of the University of Illinois and a former student of Dr. Maino's at the Illinois College of Optometry where she graduated Cum Laude with honor.  She is a leader within her profession who also writes a monthly article for the American Optometric Association’s nationally distributed newsletter for the Contact Lens and Cornea Section. Dr. Lyons also enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, cheering for the Illini, and spending time with her family. 

Mr. John Lyons is the general manager, owner of Lyons Family Eye Care and the spouse of Dr. Lyons.  With a diverse background in business, his dream has always been to have a small business of his own.  That dream combined with his wife Stephanie’s desire to have an optometry practice led to the creation of Lyons Family Eye Care. He is passionate about customer service and creating a friendly atmosphere for patients and staff. In his free time, John enjoys sports, traveling, competing in triathlons, and taking care of his family including his two dogs Chance and Lucky.  John is also active in the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce and on the board of West LakeView Neighbors.

Dr. Dominick Maino is a Professor of Pediatrics/Binocular Vision at the Illinois Eye Institute/Illinois College of Optometry.  He graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry, received his MEd at the University of Illinois Chicago and Bachelor’s degree from Beloit College. Dr. Maino is the past Director of the Institute for Advanced Competency Post-Graduate Continuing Education Program, an Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics/Binocular Vision at the Centro Boston de Optometria in Madrid Spain, and the Director of the Developmental Disabilities Service at Neumann Family Services. He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Optometry and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, and holds membership in the American & Illinois Optometric Associations, Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, and the Artists of Casa Italia. His recent activities includes presenting at the International Brain Injury Association meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland; at the California Optometric Association’s OptoWest Conference and as a member of an expert panel at the American Conference of Pediatric Cerebral Visual Impairment which is sponsored by the Children’s Hospital, Omaha, NE.

            Dr. Maino currently serves as the editor of Optometry and Vision Development, and has authored approximately 200 books, chapters, and articles. He has given more than 100 presentations worldwide, is a co-author of the technology column for the AOANews and is currently the associate, consulting, and/or contributing editor/manuscript reviewer for numerous publications. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins has recently agreed to publish Dr. Maino’s next book, Visual Diagnosis and Care of the Patient with Special Needs which will be available May 2012.

Dr. Maino has received recognition for his work from the Order Sons of Italy (Leonardo Da Vinci Award for Excellence in Medicine), National Academies of Practice (Distinguished Practitioner), Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, College of Optometrists in Vision Development, Optometric Editors Association, and the Easter Seal Society of Metropolitan Chicago. He is an internationally recognized expert on oculo-visual problems of children and adults with a special interest in the patient with special needs. His research interests include special populations, pediatrics, and binocular vision dysfunction. He is currently the spokesperson for the American Optometric Association on 3 D Vision Syndrome and has been interviewed numerous times (television, print media, radio, Internet) on this topic. Dr. Maino’s avocations include blogging, music, photography and as a budding connoisseur of the finer points of appreciating a good Single Malt Scotch(especially after a trip to Scotland), is now attempting to age his own micro-barrel, very small batch whiskey.

Characteristics of Pediatric Traditional Chinese Medicine Users in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cohort Study

....The use of TCM was correlated with both patient and parental factors, among which children’s age and parental TCM use were the most prominent. Additional studies on the efficacy of TCM are warranted.....