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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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On the left is a normal optic nerve (light circle at center) and on the right is the optic nerve swelling seen in IIH. Courtesy of Dr. Michael Wall, University of Iowa.

Glaucoma Drug Helps Women with Blinding Disorder Linked to Obesity

An inexpensive glaucoma drug, when added to a weight loss plan, can improve vision for women with a disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Grantee News

IU School of Optometry study: New technique detects microscopic diabetes-related eye damage

Indiana University researchers have detected new early-warning signs of the potential loss of sight associated with diabetes. This discovery could have far-reaching implications for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy
An experimental contact lens design releases a glaucoma medicine at a steady rate for up to a month. Credit: Peter Mallen, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Laboratory/Kohane Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital.

Contacts better than permanent lenses for babies after cataract surgery

For adults and children who undergo cataract surgery, implantation of an artificial lens is the standard of care.
Grantee News

Expanding our view of vision

Using a new approach, MIT researchers scanned individuals’ brains as they looked at different images and were able to pinpoint, to the millisecond, when the brain recognizes and categorizes an object, and where these processes occur.
Cross section of retina and optic nerve

Glaucoma: The 'silent thief' begins to tell its secrets

Glaucoma is sometimes called the “silent thief of sight” because it slowly damages the eyes and can cause irreparable harm before there is any vision loss.

NIH-funded study finds donor age not a factor in most corneal transplants

Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, according to the Cornea Donor Study.
Man using robotic cane in an office

NIH Funds Development of Novel Robots to Assist People with Disabilities, Aid Doctors

Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures.
Two boys smile at camera. Dark spot in center of image represents vision loss from AMD.

Three studies point to same risk gene for age-related macular degeneration

Three studies reported in Nature Genetics have converged on the same gene as a rare, but powerful risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of vision loss in older people.
little boy with eye patch simultaneously writing.

Extended daily eye patching effective at treating stubborn amblyopia in children

The standard treatment for amblyopia, a condition of poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye, is patching: covering a child’s better-seeing eye with a patch for two hours a day to improve vision in the weaker eye.
2 young boys hold balls and smile at the camera

NIH study provides clarity on supplements for protection against blinding eye disease

Adding omega-3 fatty acids did not improve a combination of nutritional supplements commonly recommended for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss among older Americans.