Latest Association for Research Stories

ARVO opposes the Federal District Court injunction that froze federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) researchThe Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), a professional organization of member scientists, opposes the Federal District Court injunction that froze federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. ARVO is troubled by this barrier to research that has the potential to restore sight and mitigate eye damage.ARVO members investigate hESC...

A type of antibiotic that can cause hearing loss in people has been found to paradoxically protect the ears when given in extended low doses in very young mice.The surprise finding came from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who looked to see if loud noise and the antibiotic kanamycin together would produce a bigger hearing loss than either factor by itself. The results will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the Association for Research in...

Journal of Vision article suggests potential treatment for blindsight patientsAlthough we assume we can see everything in our field of vision, the brain actually picks and chooses the stimuli that come into our consciousness. A new study in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's Journal of Vision reveals that our brains can be trained to consciously see stimuli that would normally be invisible.Lead researcher Caspar Schwiedrzik from the Max Planck Institute for Brain...

Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". Researchers think these factors, when used in the proper model, can be strong predictors of the disease.AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.A study published in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's peer-reviewed Investigative Ophthalmolgy & Visual Science ("Prediction Model for...

Nocturnal geckos are among the very few living creatures able to see colors at night, and scientists' discovery of series of distinct concentric zones may lead to insight into better cameras and contact lenses.The key to the exceptional night vision of the nocturnal helmet gecko is a series of distinct concentric zones of different refractive powers, according to a study published in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's peer-reviewed, online Journal of Vision.This...

Report from the 4th ARVO/Pfizer Ophthalmics Research Institute ConferenceAlthough scientists know progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons is the primary cause of glaucoma, researchers have yet to identify a way to stop or prevent the degeneration.The challenge to find a solution brought together a panel of 39 scientists to discuss the factors that may contribute to the disease. The report from the Fourth Annual ARVO/Pfizer Ophthalmics Research Institute Conference...

Technology could help in the monitoring and treatment of diseases of the eye that may cause blindnessResearchers used a new imaging technique to take high quality color photographs of the clinical stages of ocular inflammation in mice, and the technology could help in the monitoring and treatment of diseases of the eye that may cause blindness.The study, "The Clinical Time-Course of Experimental Autoimmune Uveoretinitis Using Topical Endoscopic Fundal Imaging with Histologic and Cellular...

Directing a driver's gaze results in smoother steering - Study may inform the next generation of in-car driving assistance systems Typically, drivers gaze along a curve as they negotiate it, but they also look at other parts of the road, the dashboard, traffic signs and oncoming vehicles. A new study finds that when drivers fix their gaze on specific targets placed strategically along a curve, their steering is smoother and more stable than it is in normal conditions.The study, "Driving...

A new study confirms that if you see it, you believe you had been looking at itIf you see something, it's because you're looking at it, right? A recently published study examined this question and established that while people do tend to notice objects within their gaze, it is the assumptions they make about their environment that affects their perceptions. This study gives insight into how the brain and the eye work together to interpret everyday observations.The study "If I saw it, it...

Rockville, Md. "“ A person's prior knowledge of the geometry of faces affects his or her ability to estimate distance and complete visually guided reaching tasks according to a study published in the June issue of Journal of Vision, an online, free access publication of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). In a joint study by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and the University of Giessen and the Max-Planck-Institute Tuebingen, both in Germany,...