Virtual reality tests balance treatments Mar 18, 2009
"What we have noticed here is optic flow [movement of the visual field]; that it's all this stuff that moves past you that's very disorienting," Dr. Whitney said, with Dr. Calabrese nodding in agreement. "We think that's what is [causing the balance problems], and that's part of what we're trying to learn. We ask Paula and others what bothers them in this store, and we're trying to get some sense of what it is so we can ... better simulate it here and gradually get them used to handling it.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
What Drives Brain Changes In Macular Degeneration? Mar 14, 2009
13, 2009) In macular degeneration, the most common form of adult blindness, patients progressively lose vision in the center of their visual field, thereby depriving the corresponding part of the visual cortex of input ... This "preferred retinal locus" (PRL) is often below the blind region in the visual field, leading patients to roll their eyes upward to look at someone's face, for example ... The visual cortex has a map of the visual field on the retina, and in macular degeneration the... (Science Daily)
A 19th-century warehouse becomes a place of contemplation Mar 7, 2009
The ceiling of ipe, a Brazilian hardwood, warms the visual field. A polished Italian-slate bench is a monolith. (Globe and Mail)
What a strange, thrilling trip this is Mar 7, 2009
Finally, there are moments of deep mystery, like his monochrome Ailleurs (1993), a wide dark visual field of a colour that one cannot name: dark green, dark grey, brown, at moments even dark aubergine. Tousignant has created a colour that language cannot describe, a deeply vegetative, fathomless darkness full of life, like the depths of a lake, or a mossy shadow at the edge of twilight. (Globe and Mail)
How One And The Same Nerve Cell Reacts To Two Visual Areas In Flies Mar 1, 2009
In their input region, VS-cells do indeeed respond to movement in only a narrow area of the visual field. In contrast, in the cells' output region, each cell also responds to movement in the receptive fields of its neighbouring cells. (Science Daily)
Oak Ridge technology can save vision Feb 19, 2009
Macular degeneration is a condition usually affecting older adults which results in a loss of vision at the centre of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina. Using a technology originally developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to understand semiconductor defects, three locations in Memphis have been equipped with digital cameras that take pictures of the retina. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Seeing the World in Half-View Feb 12, 2009
If the right parietal is damaged, however, the left visual field is unattended; in other words, unilateral neglect occurs. It is fairly easy to diagnose neglect. (Scientific American)
TODDLER TO HAVE HALF OF HER BRAIN REMOVED AT HOPKINS Feb 8, 2009
When they told me they were pretty sure she already has a visual field cut, that took away some of my guilt. I didn t want to take away any skill she could develop. (Dundalk Eagle, MD)
Blind to change, even as it stares us in the face Apr 1, 2008
At what stage in the complex circuitry of sight do attentiveness and awareness arise, and what happens to other objects in the visual field once a particular object has been designated worthy of a further despairing stare ... Bottom-up attentiveness originates with the stimulus, with something in our visual field that is the optical equivalent of a shout: a wildly waving hand, a bright red object against a green field. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Bay Area Iraq War Vets Face Possible Blindness Mar 27, 2008
They're returning home with only half their visual field, not knowing that they're missing their entire left field of perception. Without treatment, blast injuries like Kvasnak's can lead to long-term problems, even blindness. (NBC 11, CA)
Blind vision Mar 18, 2008
Also, people with a visual field of less than 20 degrees -- instead of the normal 180 degrees -- are considered legally blind. About 1. (Albany Times Union)
DisAbilities Rights Chairman: The Meaning of Legally Blind Mar 18, 2008
Many reasonably priced tools and resources are now available to allow people to read documents and do most tasks regardless of visual field and acuity. New York s new governor will surely dismantle many outmoded perceptions about the capabilities of visually impaired people. (Somerville Journal, MA)
Legally Blind? Mar 15, 2008
According to the that defines legal blindness, a person also merits the designation if he or she suffers from severe tunnel vision, with a visual field that measures at most 20 degrees in diameter. (An average person can see about 160 degrees without rotating his head. (Slate)
Computer software to detect glaucoma Mar 7, 2008
Glaucoma has been nicknamed "sneak thief of sight" because the loss of visual field often occurs gradually over a long time and may only be recognised when it is already quite advanced. Professor Vis Viswanathan, a consultant surgeon in glaucoma at Moorfields who developed the system, said conventional tests - which concentrate on the ability to see light - fail to pick up a patient's ability to detect movement. (India Times)
Translating Images out of Brain Waves Mar 7, 2008
Haynes says the team could "go back and infer what the image was that a person was seeing" by monitoring the activity in each brain section and deciphering what sort of information would most likely be found in the corresponding part of the visual field, or photograph. When the volunteers scanned a new set of 120 images depicting everything from people to houses to animals to fruit and other objects the computer program correctly identified what they were looking at up to 92 percent of the time;... (Scientific American)
Don't Leave Your Vision to Chance on World Glaucoma Day Mar 5, 2008
QUICK SEARCH BY ORGANIZATION. FREE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES. (Canada Newswire)
Perception coloured by language Mar 4, 2008
Adults reacted more quickly if the target was presented in the right side of the visual field, which is processed by the left hemisphere of the brain. For babies, the pattern reversed: they were quicker if the target was in the left visual field, which is processed by the right hemisphere. (Nature News Service)
Degenerative eye disease doubles stroke risk Feb 28, 2008
Age-related macular degeneration is a chronic disease that affects the central part of the retina of the eye, resulting in blurred central vision or a blind spot in the centre of one's visual field. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Health)
Pituitary Gland Tumors Feb 24, 2008
The tumor can compress the optic chiasm, causing blindness in the far left and right sides of the visual field. Headache may also be a symptom. (Suite101.com)
New Cataract Gene Discovered Feb 19, 2008
Cataract, the condition of altered refractive index in the lens of the eye, is the clouding of the eye's normally clear lens and results in blurry vision that frequently includes disturbing glare in the visual field. Successful treatment today involves surgical removal of the affected lens and replacement with an artificial one. (Science Daily)
Correcting Poor Vision Can Help Preschoolers' Performance Feb 17, 2008
27, 2006) A new study recently published in Journal of Vision shows that an individual's navigation skills can be measured by using an immersive virtual 'forest' in which peripheral visual field losses are. (Jul. (Science Daily)
The Ultimate Valentine Card: Full-Frontal Gorilla Love Feb 15, 2008
There would be an evolutionary advantage to face to face copulation the combined visual field for the two partners would be twice as large as for two animals facing (and looking) in the same direction. So one or the other of the two mating primates would be able to see a predator approaching. (New York Times)
Falcon peeking into his future Jan 25, 2008
He headed a team that developed the "eye-tracking" technology used to train military pilots by displaying on a screen the visual field their eyes are focused upon. The Eizenman family is big on academics and athletics. (Fresno Bee -- Sports)
Electronic contact lens debuts Jan 23, 2008
Electronic contact lenses promise to overlay a heads-up display over a user's visual field, enabling tactical information like an automobile speedometer for drivers to be seen only by the wearer. Researchers at the University of Washington (Seattle) recently demonstrated the world's first electronic contact lens, complete with integrated light-emitting-diodes. (EETimes)
The battle over two drug treatments Jan 23, 2008
Dark or empty area in centre of visual field. Straight lines appear wavy. (Globe and Mail)
Sleep, Attention, and Memory: Not (Maybe) What You Thought Dec 12, 2007
For example, a night of sleep can make you better able to identify objects in your visual field where you studied them the night before, and it can make you faster and more accurate at typing a sequence of numbers that you practiced the night before (review by Stickgold: or ) ... For example, a night of sleep can make you better able to identify objects in your visual field where you studied them the night before, and it can make you faster and more accurate at typing a sequence of numbers that... (Nature News Service)
Naturally Occurring Chemical In Brain Enhances Visual Processing Nov 25, 2007
Multiple representations of objects in our visual field are constantly competing with each other for our brain's. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Glaucoma creeps up on more Americans Nov 5, 2007
Dilated eye tests and visual field tests detect glaucoma and should be a part of routine eye screenings every three years, says Louis Cantor, professor of glaucoma research at Indiana University. "People will get their teeth cleaned every six months but only get their eyes checked every 10 years," he says. (USA Today)
Visual field loss primary component in risk of falls for older adults Oct 30, 2007
Rockville, MD u Visual field loss (specifically peripheral visual fields) is the primary vision component that increases the risk of falls, according to a study published this month in Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science, a peer-reviewed monthly publication of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). The authors of "Visual Field Loss Increases the Risk of Falls in Older Adults: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation" () Ellen Freeman, Beatriz Munoz, Gary Rubin and... (EurekAlert!)
'Twinkle after effect' can help retinal patients detect vision loss quickly and cheaply Oct 24, 2007
According to Bex, many people fail to seek help when they develop blind spots in their vision, because their brains automatically compensate or fill in the missing information in their visual field ... They discovered that when someone looks at a television screen filled with static noise while covering part of their visual field with a small patch, the formerly patched area is left with a twinkling sensation after the noise is turned off and the person looks at a blank screen ... The rest of... (EurekAlert!)
International Survey Shows People Over Forty Ignore Risk of Blindness Oct 2, 2007
"Everyone should proactively assess their risk of glaucoma with an eye specialist. A complete eye exam for glaucoma will include an eye pressure check, an optic nerve assessment and visual field examination." All Eyes on Glaucoma Resources One of the key components of the All Eyes on Glaucoma initiative is a new, informative website, http://www. AllEyesOnGlaucoma. (Canada Newswire)
Tracking what you're looking at Sep 14, 2007
1 percent of our total visual field. From the fovea outward, our sight grows progressively less detailed. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Pressure Sensors In The Eye Sep 12, 2007
If the pressure in the eye is too high, nerve fibers die, resulting in visual field loss or blindness. Since increased intraocular pressure, also known as glaucoma, is not usually painful, the condition is often diagnosed too late. (Science Daily)
Adult Brain Can Change, Study Confirms Sep 10, 2007
The damage eliminated input from the upper left visual field to the corresponding region of the primary visual cortex, thereby depriving a region of cortex and creating a blind area in the upper left visual field ... BL had reported that things "looked distorted" in the lower left visual field (below his blind area) ... To isolate that distortion, they had BL fixate on a center dot while objects, such as squares, appeared in various parts of the visual field. (Science Daily)
Reorganization Of Brain Area For Vision After Stroke: May Yield New Treatments For Brain Injury Sep 8, 2007
Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies confirmed that the visually deprived cortex, which formerly responded only to information coming from the upper left visual field, was now responding to information from the lower left visual field. Future research will examine exactly which neural mechanisms in the cortex are reorganized and how. (Science Daily)
Loss of Vision a Possibility After Glaucoma Surgery Sep 5, 2007
For their research, Dr. Simon K. Law and colleagues, from the University of California, Los Angeles, reviewed the medical charts of 117 patients with severe preoperative visual field defects who underwent trabeculectomy with between June 1998 and October 2005 at one center. They found that seven patients experienced loss of their central vision following treatment. (MEDLINEplus)
NovaVision to treat Tampa veterans Aug 29, 2007
Based on their visual field deficits, patients receive a customized therapy program. The treatment is based on neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt, form new neuronal connections and compensate for injury, the company said. (South Florida Business Journal, FL)
Babies' Brains To Be Monitored Using Light Scans Aug 23, 2007
To prove that they achieved sufficient resolution for functional brain imaging, scientists used high-density DOT on human volunteers to link stimulation of parts of the visual field to activation of corresponding areas in the brain's visual cortex. "This is called retinotopic mapping of the visual cortex, and it's a classic functional brain imaging task that was used to establish the validity of earlier neuroimaging techniques like fMRI and PET," Culver says. (Science Daily)
Fluctuating Eye Pressure Associated With Visual Field Deterioration In Glaucoma Patients Aug 17, 2007
"Prevention of further visual field deterioration is a goal of glaucoma therapy," the authors write as background information in the article. "Previous studies reported that lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) slowed the advancement of visual field damage in patients with glaucoma. However, even if the IOP can be substantially lowered, reduction of mean [average] and peak IOP does not always prevent progressive visual field deterioration." ... Measurements of IOP and visual field were taken for... (Science Daily)
Stabilizing Eye Pressure Key to Glaucoma Care Aug 15, 2007
The patients, whose visual field and IOP were checked for a number of years after surgery, were divided into two groups -- those with greater IOP fluctuation and those with less fluctuation. When the final follow-up examination was conducted 13 years after surgery, patients with greater IOP fluctuation had significantly worse visual field loss ... "Our results suggest that glaucomatous visual field damage cannot be stabilized by only lowering the postoperative IOP but also requires reducing the... (MEDLINEplus)
Strong link seen in smoking, age-related blindness Aug 14, 2007
It is a chronic disease that affects the central part of the retina of the eye, resulting in blurred central vision or a blind spot in the center of one's visual field. Macular degeneration does not affect peripheral vision, but the loss of clear central vision can rob a person of the ability to read, drive and recognize people's faces even without causing total blindness. (Scientific American)
Vision restoration therapy shown to improve brain activity in brain injured patients Aug 14, 2007
Patients perform the therapy daily at home for six to seven months, gradually improving their vision through the repeated detection of light stimuli directed at the border between the seeing and blind areas of the visual field. Through further enhancements of this therapy, the hope is to help the approximately 1 to 2 million stroke and brain injury survivors in the United States who suffer from major visual field deficits, a number that increases by more than 90,000 each year. (EurekAlert!)
Hearing Colors And Seeing Sounds: How Real Is Synesthesia? Jul 27, 2007
So, any neuron activated when the color blue is present will deactivate when it's exact opposite, yellow, comes into the visual field. Using this logic, Nikolic presented grapheme-color synesthetes with their five most color eliciting letters or numbers. (Science Daily)
Judge Not Books By Covers, Nor Birds By Water Jul 25, 2007
Personally, I dont get how rapidly going up and down would help you deal with a crazy visual field, so I agree with those who think the birds do it to stay fit for their dives and their walks in the torrent. Despite the fact that they look pretty much like any of the little brown-gray birds we see, American Dippers can function quite well in temperatures as low as 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) below zero, and theyve got an oversize oil gland that makes them virtually waterproof. (Nebraska Statepaper)
Looking For Something? Surprising Number Of Neurons Help Find It, Research Shows Jul 19, 2007
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers observed systematic changes in brain activity when participants focused on observing a certain object in motion, no matter where it appeared in their visual field ... In addition, paying attention to one direction of motion makes the brain more responsive to other objects moving in that direction, no matter where the other objects appear in their visual field -- a phenomenon that has not previously been documented. (Science Daily)
Nerve impulses from primary motor cortex can cause movement even when person is unaware Jul 17, 2007
His alien movements consisted of involuntary gestures or grasping with his left hand, which he sometimes did not notice due to mild left visual neglect (a condition in which the patient is unaware of events in the left visual field even though the visual pathways are intact) as a result of the stroke. The researchers performed two functional MRI experiments in which the patient performed simple motor tasks that allowed them to compare similar left-hand movements executed both consciously and... (EurekAlert!)
From the corner of the eye: Paying attention to attention Jul 6, 2007
As illustrated in the demonstration, the neurons respond when a stimulus appears within a window (indicated by the circle) covering a small part of the visual field that the eye sees. This window is known as the neurons receptive field. (EurekAlert!)
Experts call for urgent research into anti-epileptic drugs given to children Jun 8, 2007
Concerns over paediatric AEDs have risen in recent years after prescribing restrictions were issued on vigabatrin in the late 1990s following reports that one-third of users suffered from visual field defects, ranging from asymptomatic to severe and potentially disabling. In 2004, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence the UK Governments advisory body on therapeutic interventions stated that vigabatrin should only be prescribed in cases of Wests Syndrome (infantile... (EurekAlert!)
Creating Great Google AdWords Ads Jun 7, 2007
And then the eyes travel through the panel-like right hand top-to-bottom visual area, making it the most promising and strategic visual field for anything or anybody who wants to grab visual attention. This being the reason why advertisers all over the world want to have a piece of this visual pie in both the physical and virtual media may it be newspapers or periodicals, or a computer screen. (Suite101.com)
Stem cell research to cure cause of blindness Jun 6, 2007
In AMD, cells in the middle of the retina begin to die, causing loss of vision that spreads out from the centre of the visual field. The new project aims to generate RPE cells from embryonic stem cells in the laboratory and transplant them into the eyes of patients. (The Herald)
No more scams, take those nose-mining pests to task Jun 1, 2007
Streaks of red flashed across my visual field and shooting pains rushed up my right leg. Looking down, I realised the source of the problem - a three-foot-nothing blighter with a finger stuck firmly up his nose. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Shining light on eyesight May 26, 2007
The flashes are calibrated to strike areas near the injured visual field. "This is called vision restoration therapy," said Dr. Mo Fouladvand, a neurologist at The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Medical Center in Manhattan, which has the system. (Sun-Sentinel.com)
Dogs, whether happy or scared, appear to talk with their tails Apr 25, 2007
A toad is more likely to jump away when a predator is introduced to its left visual field (right brain/fear). The same toad prefers to flick its tongue to the right side when lashing out at a cricket (left brain/ nourishment). (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Advanced Eyecare unveils new equipment Apr 4, 2007
The Humphrey Matrix represents the latest breakthrough in visual field testing and advancement in clinically validated glaucoma management. The Humphrey Matrix combines the capability to detect glaucoma early and accurately with tools for long-term management, and will enable Dr. Flohr to better manage glaucoma patients for years to come. (Ionia Sentinel-Standard, MI)
Infants learn from observing others' emotional behavior Mar 26, 2007
Even more striking, infants actions varied depending on whether they were in the emoters visual field when they had access to the objects. If the previously angry emoter left the room or had her back turned, infants eagerly copied the first adults actions. (EurekAlert!)
Tracing Broken Wiring In Stroke Patients Mar 15, 2007
While the patients' brains were being scanned, the researchers asked them to perform a simple task to determine their ability to perceive the left and right visual fields ... Particularly important was that the FC MRI studies showed that the lower the functional connectivity of these regions, the more impaired the patients were in perceiving the neglected region of their visual field, said the researchers. (Science Daily)
'300' full of beefy and bikini clad Spartans Mar 14, 2007
It was largely shot with actors in front of a "green screen," yet the effect is flawless, with the actual actors completely integrated into the visual field. Shot in a Canadian studio, there were no locations, no sets and no cast of thousands, yet the effect is wholly convincing as a Greek epic, and even beautiful to see. (The Current Online, MO)
Brain bleed: Local man’s recovery from brain injury may be similar to that of Sen. Tim Johnson Mar 11, 2007
He underwent six half-hour sessions daily to regain his balance, stamina and mental acuity, including sessions on a colorful floor mat designed to test his coordination and on a Dynavision board, which uses patterns of blinking red lights to improve reaction time and check for visual field blindness. It s been a marathon, Kathy Miller said of her husband s road to recovery. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Neurons That Detect Motion Rapidly Switch Between Modes Of Data Collection Mar 6, 2007
In the March 1 issue of the journal Neuron, the scientists say their study overturns the prevailing notion that two types of motion-sensitive neurons exist- those that integrate features that belong to a single moving object (a process called "integration") and neurons that distinguish between features that belong to different objects in the visual field (known as "segmentation") ... "Depending on what passes through the visual field, these motion-sensitive neurons can do either task, switching... (Science Daily)
Creative concern Mar 1, 2007
The trend toward fewer art classes mainly in the visual field is not the fault of most of Utah s school district, says State Fine Arts Specialist Carol Goodson. We only have funding for so many teachers at many schools, she said. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Glaucoma patients at significantly higher risk for falls, motor vehicle accidents Mar 1, 2007
If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to permanent damage of the optic nerve and resultant visual field loss, which can progress to blindness. It is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and affects 1 in 200 people aged 50 and younger and 1 in 10 over the age of 80. (EurekAlert!)
Eye Movements May Spot Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders Feb 23, 2007
All of the children were instructed to look toward or away from a stimulus that appeared in their peripheral visual field. The researchers measured the children's reaction times, direction errors and eye movement. (Health-Finder)
Device Improves Vision in Stroke Patients Feb 15, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - A new FDA-approved device that uses light stimulation enlarges the visual field of patients who are left with vision impairments after stroke, researchers announced here at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2007 ... Patients underwent Vision Restoration Therapy (Nova Vision, Inc.), which is a custom-designed pattern of bright and dim light stimulation, delivered to the edges of the visual field of the affected eye ... 9 degrees in... (MEDLINEplus)
Is there a pilot in the insect? Feb 14, 2007
When an insect, bird or pilot flies over land, the image of the ground below sweeps from front to back across the central part of the visual field, creating an "optic flow", which is defined as the angular speed at which the ground contrasts move past. By definition, this angular speed is equal to the ratio of the horizontal speed and the altitude. (EurekAlert!)
Bio-inspired Flying Robot Sheds Light On Insect Piloting Abilities Feb 11, 2007
When insects fly, the image of the ground beneath them sweeps backward across their visual field in a way that depends both on the insect's height above the ground and on its speed relative to the ground--essentially, the higher the insect, the slower the ground will appear to move below it. This visual sweep, known as "optic flow," therefore potentially provides crucial information to the insect about its position relative to the ground, but it remains unclear exactly how such information is... (Science Daily)
