Optometry and Vision Science最新文献

Purpose: This study investigated how obstacle contrast altered gait behavior of healthy younger and older adults.

Methods: Twenty normally sighted adults, 11 older (mean [standard deviation] age, 68.1 [5.1] years) and 9 younger (mean [standard deviation] age, 21.1 [2.1] years), walked along a 6-m, black carpeted walkway and stepped over a single obstacle positioned 4 m from the start. The obstacle varied in height (0 [no obstacle], 1, and 19 cm) and contrast (6% ["low"] and 90% ["high"] Michelson contrast). Each subject completed 10 trials for each of the 5 conditions in an unblocked, random order. Lower limb kinematics were recorded using 13 motion capture cameras. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess age group differences in trail toe position before crossing, lead and trail foot clearance over the obstacle, lead heel position after crossing, and obstacle crossing speed. Planned comparisons were done with Bonferroni correction. Independent t tests were used to compare vision and survey variables between groups.

Results: Visual acuity was similar in both groups (p=0.17), although contrast sensitivity was better in the younger than older adults (p=0.001). Main effects were found for age: compared with younger adults, older adults showed a farther back trail foot position, greater trail foot clearance, closer lead heel position, and slower obstacle crossing speed (p<0.001 for all effects). Main effects were found for obstacle contrast: compared with low-contrast obstacles, for high-contrast obstacles, the trail foot position was farther back, both lead and trail foot clearance were greater, and lead heel position was closer (p<0.024 for all effects).

Conclusions: Obstacle contrast impacts gait behavior for younger and older adults. It is possible that the visual characteristics of an obstacle are enhanced for high-contrast obstacles, causing changes to gait behavior that may increase safety.

Significance: Previous evidence showed that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) inhibition was protective of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss after chronic intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in young animals. However, the role of TRPV4 in mechanosensing IOP changes in the aging eye is not well understood.

Purpose: This study compared the recovery of retinal function and structure after acute IOP elevation in 3- and 12-month-old mouse eyes with and without TRPV4 inhibition.

Methods: We examined retinal TRPV4 expression in 2-month-old rodent eyes using immunohistochemistry and transcript analysis of isolated macroglia and RGCs. To modulate TRPV4, mice were treated daily with either vehicle or a TRPV4 antagonist (HC-067047 10 mg/kg) delivered intraperitoneally for 7 days before and 7 days after IOP elevation (50 mmHg for 30 minutes). Retinal function and structure were assessed using dark-adapted full-field electroretinography and optical coherence tomography, respectively.

Results: We showed that Müller cells strongly expressed TRPV4. Seven days after IOP elevation, RGC functional recovery was significantly poorer in older mice treated with TRPV4 antagonist compared with age-matched vehicle controls (-54 ± 7% vs. -24 ± 10%, p=0.046) and their younger TRPV4 antagonist-treated counterparts (-5 ± 5%, p<0.001).

Conclusions: This study showed that there was an age-related deficit in RGC functional recovery from IOP elevation with TRPV4 inhibition.

Significance: In an aging population, the number of people living with neurodegenerative disease is projected to increase. It is vital to develop reliable, noninvasive biomarkers to detect disease onset and monitor progression, and there is a growing body of research into the ocular surface as a potential source of such biomarkers.

Background: This article reviews the potential of in vivo corneal confocal microscopy and tear fluid analysis as tools for biomarker development. Corneal confocal microscopy, traditionally used for studying corneal health, offers high-resolution imaging of corneal nerves and has shown promise for examining systemic diseases such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson's disease. Complementarily, tear fluid analysis, known for its ease of collection, reflects systemic changes in neurodegenerative conditions.

Conclusion: Together, these noninvasive techniques provide insights into disease onset and progression and hold potential for advancing diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Significance: Epidemiological information about the epiretinal membrane is important for better clinical management and understanding of the nature and burden of this disease. There are some gaps in our understanding of the epidemiology of epiretinal membranes, particularly in Africa and the Middle East.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membrane using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in an Iranian elderly population.

Methods: This report is a part of a population-based study conducted on the elderly population 60 years and older from Tehran, the capital of Iran, using multistage stratified random cluster sampling. Study participants underwent measurement of visual acuity, autorefraction, subjective refraction, and slit-lamp biomicroscopy. The epiretinal membranes were diagnosed by a retinal specialist from OCT images (Spectralis OCT).

Results: A total of 1298 individuals were analyzed for this report. Of these, 58.9% were female, and the mean age of the participants was 67.4 ± 6.4 years. The prevalence rates of all epiretinal membranes, primary epiretinal membrane, and secondary epiretinal membrane were 6.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.6 to 7.5%), 4.7% (95% CI, 3.0 to 6.3%), and 10.1% (95% CI, 6.6 to 13.6%), respectively. According to the multiple logistic regression model, the interaction between age and diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.18, p=0.048) and the presence of posterior vitreous detachment (OR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.45 to 5.78, p=0.003) were significantly linked to a higher prevalence of primary epiretinal membrane. Additionally, a significant inverse relationship was found between the prevalence of primary epiretinal membrane and the number of years of education (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85 to 0.97; p=0.002).

Conclusions: The prevalence of primary epiretinal membrane in Tehran, Iran, was found to be lower than that reported in the majority of earlier studies. Posterior vitreous detachment, interaction between age and diabetes, and lower education level were risk factors of primary epiretinal membrane in this study.

Significance: A comprehensive falls assessment should include the assessment of key visual risk factors, namely, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and stereoacuity, to help prevent further falls in older adults. As a minimum, a thorough visual history and uniocular visual acuity assessment would allow appropriate onward referral for intervention.

Purpose: Falls prevention is a global public health challenge. The etiology of falls is often complex due to multiple interacting risk factors contributing to postural instability in older adults. Despite national recommendations, the assessment of visual function is often overlooked in falls management. This may be due to a lack of clear guidance on key visual functions that need assessing in this patient group, professional roles, and responsibilities. This review gives an overview of visual risk factors for falls in older adults without cognitive impairment. It focuses on visual functions that can be assessed practically using standard clinical procedures. Possible test selection for a falls clinic or inpatient setting is discussed to help inform the implementation of vision assessments in falls management.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted on Web of Science (1898 to current), MEDLINE (1946 to present), and APA PsycInfo (1887 to present) using relevant search terms and Boolean operators related to visual functions and falls. Retrospective and prospective studies including randomized controlled trials, observational, cohort, case-control, and qualitative studies were included.

Results: Visual functions decline with age due to the normal aging process and age-related pathologies. Despite considerable heterogeneity across studies, the evidence supports the association of falls with declines in visual functions, including visual acuity, binocular single vision, and the visual field, but most notably contrast sensitivity and stereopsis. Existing vision screening tools, which assess multiple visual functions, are reviewed in light of their usefulness in falls.

Conclusions: We recommend a vision assessment in the management of falls, which considers visual functions associated with falls, particularly contrast sensitivity and stereopsis. Existing vision screening tools could be adapted or developed for use in falls clinics or the inpatient setting. Eye health professionals should form part of falls multidisciplinary teams or offer training in assessing vision and help to develop intervention pathways for timely management of visual impairment.

Significance: Evaluating the visual challenges and refractive correction solutions of presbyopic orienteers identifies features of relevance to optometric management of the visual needs of active presbyopes.

Purpose: Orienteering is a unique sport requiring visual clarity at a range of viewing distances and has a high proportion of presbyopic participants. This study evaluates the vision corrections used by presbyopic orienteers, specifically aiming to characterize the prevalence of different vision correction options used and to explore the strengths and limitations of different vision correction solutions.

Methods: Orienteers 40 years or older completed an online questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice questions covering personal demographics, orienteering participation, and visual corrections worn in everyday life and for orienteering. Free-text questions asked for further information about the corrections used and advice received from eye care practitioners were analyzed using content analysis.

Results: There were 469 respondents (195 women, 274 men; median age category, 55 to 59 years). For the 187 people without distance refractive correction, the most frequent corrections for orienteering were "off the shelf" reading spectacles (n = 95) or use of a compass magnifier (n = 24), and for the 277 people with distance refractive correction, they were progressive addition spectacles (n = 96) and monovision contact lenses (n = 63). The main visual challenges faced by orienteers were seeing map detail, lens obstruction from fogging and rain, and difficulty orienteering in low light in the daytime. An ideal correction needed to provide visual clarity for both map and terrain. No visual correction type consistently addressed all challenges. Orienteers valued personalized discussion with eye care practitioners to address their needs.

Conclusions: Optimal visual corrections for presbyopic orienteers are individual, but higher reading additions to clarify map detail, contact lenses to avoid lens obstruction, additional light, and solutions that provide clear vision at all viewing distances while avoiding the reading add blurring the ground at the orienteer's feet should be considered. Personalized care is necessary to optimize visual correction solutions.