New intervention could help patients with macular degeneration recover vision
Researchers have discovered that a single, 20-minute session of non-invasive brain stimulation of the visual cortex can reduce the effects of macular degeneration.
Researchers have discovered that a single, 20-minute session of non-invasive brain stimulation of the visual cortex can reduce the effects of macular degeneration.
By Media RelationsResearchers have discovered that a single, 20-minute session of non-invasive brain stimulation of the visual cortex can reduce the effects of macular degeneration.
Patients with macular degeneration lose central vision and are forced to rely on peripheral vision. But they can have difficulty segregating an object from others that are in close proximity, a phenomenon called crowding. This study from the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry found the use of brain stimulation could help people with macular degeneration recover their vision.
“Perceptual learning can reduce letter crowding for patients with macular degeneration. However, perceptual learning typically requires intensive training, which may be a barrier for patients. Additionally, the learning does not always transfer to non-trained stimuli, that’s why this discovery is so promising, it addresses all of these concerns,” said Ben Thompson, professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science.
Interventions like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) directly modulate mechanisms in the visual cortex that contribute to crowding and could improve vision in patients with central vision loss. This treatment can also be combined with perceptual learning techniques.
“This result lays the foundation for future work investigating whether a-tDCS may be useful as a visual rehabilitation tool for individuals with central vision loss who are reliant on peripheral vision,” said Thompson.
This study is the first step towards the possible application of non-invasive brain stimulation to vision recovery in patients with macular degeneration.
Their research was published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLOS ONE.
An experiment that began by testing the properties of quantum entanglement has led to the discovery of a new diagnostic tool that could help optometrists detect macular degeneration much earlier than was previously possible.
Working together, researchers at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are searching for how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the lungs – and they’re challenging what has become an accepted truth about the virus.
A Canada-U.S. partnership is helping resource-strapped long-term care organizations improve resident outcomes, says a new study.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.