(Press-News.org) Philadelphia, Pa. (August 27, 2013) - Techniques developed by astronomers seeking a clear view of objects in space are coming closer to home, as eye care professionals apply the concept of wavefront optics to understanding—and correcting—subtle visual abnormalities of the human eye, according to a special article in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Wavefront optics is beginning to transform the way optometrists and ophthalmologists think about the vision issues they encounter in everyday practice, according to the review by Larry N. Thibos, PhD, FAAO, of the School of Optometry at Indiana University, Bloomington. In recognition of his pioneering role in applying wavefront measurement to clinical optometry, Dr Thibos was named the 2012 Charles F. Prentice Award Lecture Medalist.
Wavefront Optics—From the Observatory to Your Optometrist's Office
"The aim of this lecture, and its publication in Optometry and Vision Science, is to help make advances in these areas of optometric science broadly accessible to educators, clinicians, and patients by explaining in simple terms the underlying optical concepts of wavefront aberrometry," according to Dr Thibos. He presents and illustrates the key concepts underlying the application of wavefront measurement in evaluation of subtle, "higher-order" visual abnormalities.
Historically, optometrists and ophthalmologists have focused on the two most prominent causes of vision problems from out-of-focus images: spherical errors and astigmatism. However, there are a wide range of subtle, "higher-order" errors that can affect not only the clarity of a patient's vision but also the doctor's view as he or she examines the back of the eye.
"In the past two decades, optometry and ophthalmology researchers have borrowed techniques for measuring and correcting these higher-order abnormalities," explains Anthony Adams, OD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Optometry and Vision Science. "Astronomers already used these techniques to enable a clear telescopic view of planets and stars, undistorted by the focusing aberrations resulting from the earth's atmosphere."
Dr Thibos writes, "Our change in mind-set engendered by wavefront concepts has the power to alter our way of thinking about many clinical issues that are fundamentally optical in nature." He summarizes key principles of wavefront optics and their clinical applications to vision correction. Dr Thibos foresees important uses such as monitoring changes in optical quality in eyes with deterioration of the tear film (eg, causing dry eyes), assessing the outcomes of advanced vision-correcting (refractive) therapies, and tracking the progression of visual abnormalities in growing eyes.
Some vision care professionals already have access to next-generation instruments that can assess and correct for these higher-order aberrations in the back of the eye. Dr Adams notes, "Some of these corrections are even finding their way into contact lens and spectacle designs."
Dr Thibos provides a "masterful and remarkably clear" explanation of the new technology and its potential impact on vision correction, according to Dr Adams. The article presents a number of diagrams and other teaching tools—including a paper airplane designed to illustrate the three-dimensional nature of optical wavefront analysis. (You can download the paper airplane in PDF format at http://links.lww.com/OPX/A136.)
For his long-time research discoveries, Dr. Thibos was named winner of the American Academy of Optometry's Charles F. Prentice Medal for 2012. Established in 1958, the Charles F. Prentice Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding scientist who has contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge in the visual sciences.
"Dr Thibos is quite unique in his extraordinary ability to relate these advances in optics to the very fundamentals of ophthalmic optics which the 'Father of Optometry,' Charles F. Prentice, articulated more than 120 years ago," Dr Adams comments. "It is fitting that he was awarded the Charles F. Prentice Medal for his work—the highest Award of the American Academy of Optometry." Dr Thibos' paper is free to the public on the journal website, along with a downloadable video of his original award lecture, including a version for the hearing impaired.
###
About Optometry and Vision Science
Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry, is the most authoritative source for current developments in optometry, physiological optics, and vision science. This frequently cited monthly scientific journal has served primary eye care practitioners for more than 75 years, promoting vital interdisciplinary exchange among optometrists and vision scientists worldwide.
About the American Academy of Optometry
Founded in 1922, the American Academy of Optometry is committed to promoting the art and science of vision care through lifelong learning. All members of the Academy are dedicated to the highest standards of optometric practice through clinical care, education or research.
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, Wolters Kluwer Health's customers include professionals, institutions and students in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include Health Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Medicom®, Medknow, Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®, ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.
Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2012 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.6 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.
END
Girls report more math anxiety on general survey measures but are not actually more anxious during math classes and exams, according to new research forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Existing research suggests that females are more anxious when it comes to mathematics than their male peers, despite similar levels of achievement. But education researchers Thomas Götz and Madeleine Bieg of the University of Konstanz and the Thurgau University of Teacher Education and colleagues identified a critical limitation ...
The Rim Fire began in California on August 17, 2013. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. This fire is treacherous and has tripled in size in the last few days to now over 106,000 acres. The fire had been 5% contained, but the fire jumped fire lines and is currently only 2% contained.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, "There appeared to be no stopping the massive Rim Fire as it exploded further into Yosemite National Park heading into the weekend. The fire nearly doubled in size overnight into Friday and stood at about 106,000 acres, or 165 square ...
People who leave hospital against their doctors' orders are more likely to be readmitted to hospital or die, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
"Leaving the hospital against medical advice was associated with increased risks of readmission to hospital and death that persisted for at least 6 months," writes Dr. Allan Garland, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, with coauthors. "Potential mechanisms for these associations directly related to the patients' acute illness include more severe illness or incomplete treatment ...
COLLEGE PARK, Md – Human activities are changing the basic chemistry of many rivers in the Eastern U.S. in ways that have potentially major consequences for urban water supplies and aquatic ecosystems, a University of Maryland-led study has found.
In the first survey of its kind, a research team looked at long-term records of alkalinity trends in 97 rivers from Florida to New Hampshire. Over time spans of 25 to 60 years, two-thirds of the rivers had become significantly more alkaline.
Increased alkalinity complicates drinking water and wastewater treatment, encourages ...
When shopping for a big ticket item, such as a television, there is a checklist of things you should always do:
1. Read reviews
2. Compare prices
3. Wear high heels
If you're uncomfortable with No. 3, you have other options. You can ride up and down the escalator, play a few games using the Wii Fit, or just go shopping immediately following your yoga class.
A new BYU study finds that consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to weigh the options and go with a product that falls in the middle of the high-end, low-end scale.
"If you're ...
Amsterdam, NL, August 23, 2013 – Cognitive deficits following ischemic stroke are common and debilitating, even in the relatively few patients who are treated expeditiously so that clots are removed or dissolved rapidly and cerebral blood flow restored. A new study in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience demonstrates that intracerebral injection of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BSCs) reduces cognitive deficits produced by temporary occlusion of cerebral blood vessels in a rat model of stroke, suggesting that BSCs may offer a new approach for reducing post-stroke ...
Amsterdam, NL, 26 August 2013 – Findings from postmortem studies of the brains of Huntington's Disease (HD) patients suggest that transcriptional dysregulation may be an early step in the pathogenesis of HD before symptoms appear. Other studies report transcriptional alterations in the brains of some mouse models of HD. A new study has found transcriptional changes in mouse striatum which correlate with progressive motor and psychiatric deficits and, most importantly, reports for the first time, that an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) may be used therapeutically to both ...
Basel Physicists in collaboration with Dutch researchers have demonstrated a new method for polarizing nuclear spins in extremely small samples. By Monitoring and controlling spin fluctuations, the method may provide a route for enhancing the resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the nanometer-scale, allowing researchers to make 3D images of smaller objects than ever before. The results have been published in the journal Nature Physics.
Many of the elements that make up the matter around us, such as hydrogen or phosphorus, contain a magnetic nucleus at the ...
A study of over 1600 children, which followed the children from infancy to four years old, found the cumulative incidence of stuttering by four years old was 11 per cent, more than twice what has previously been reported.
However, the study refutes the long held view that suggests developmental stuttering is associated with a range of poorer outcomes in the preschool period. Interestingly, the study found the reverse was true, with stuttering associated with better language development, non-verbal skills with no identifiable effect on the child's mental health or temperament ...
The Rim Fire in northeastern California continues to burn on the Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park, and the Bureau of Land Management and State responsibility land. This fire began on August 17, 2013 and its cause is still currently under investigation. Over 224 square miles have been affected as of Sunday, August 25. It is still only 7 percent contained. Inaccessible terrain, strong winds, and dry conditions all present at this fire make for very difficult fire fighting. The ability for this fire to create havoc spreads far and wide, beyond even the ...
