by: http://www.oculisticapascotto.com/
magnetic pulses to the brain improves the condition of lazy eye in adults
Correcting lazy eye in adults is found not to be possible, but researchers report that they were able to do so - at least partially and temporarily - by sending electrical impulses to the brain. "We now know that the decline of vision is caused by poor development of the cerebral cortex," said Benjamin Thompson, a postdoctoral fellow in the division of ophthalmology at McGill University in Canada, and member of the group that reported this new method us on July 22 Current Biology. "The treatment is usually directed towards the eye, not to the cerebral cortex."
The study was prompted by a research showing that even the adult brain has "plasticity," which until recently was considered impossible.
The cortex is a vital part of the brain, which, among other functions, is involved in the process of vision. The work of other researchers has shown that transcranial magnetic stimulation, in which a rapid train of magnetic pulses is sent to the brain through a hand-held electrode on the scalp, is effective in rehabilitation after stroke and is being tested against depression.
When he was tried on nine adults with amblyopia, only 15 minutes of magnetic stimulation improved the sensitivity of the weakest in transient, Thompson said.
In the following visual tests, the patients were able to see the details that had escaped before treatment.
"We were surprised at the success of this test," he said. "The vision in amblyopia and improved for at least 20 minutes after transcranial magnetic stimulation."
It was certainly a small trial, but "one of the issues that were addressed was whether the care dell'ambliopia can be considered even in adults," said Thompson. "The adult brain does not have the same ability to change the children."
There are two ways to exploit what has been demonstrated, and the McGill group plans to test each of these, said Thomson. One way is to use multiple pulse train of transcranial stimulation.
"We have always used a single dose so far in our studies," he added. "Now, we able to examine the effect of repeated doses. In depression, it seems that may have some effect. "
The other possibility is to use magnetic stimulation to the brain as a first approach to a broader rehabilitation program, a training program in which adults are required to perform a series of visual tasks.
Recent studies have indicated that such a perceptual training program can improve vision in partially sighted eyes.
"There will also be a side project, a program of training with stimuli in both eyes, with stimuli to higher contrast stimuli partially sighted eye, "said Thompson." We hope that repeated exposure to lead to a tangible and lasting improvements. "
The report exposed one of many that indicate that the adult brain has a capacity of more than academic modeling as it was believed until recently, said Dr. Robert Cykiert, associate professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at New York University.
The lazy eye occurs because the proper connection between the eye and the cerebral cortex is not formed in the early years of life, Cykiert explained.
"We thought that if the connections do not are carried out for 10 years or more, it's too late to recover what was lost. "
Magill's study, however, refutes this belief." This is only one study preliminary, but obviously this may lead to other similar treatments that can have a more lasting impact, "said Cykiert.
" What we may be able to do is to allow people with lazy eye to have treatments that stimulate the part lazy brain. "
Antonio Pascal Published by: 17/08/2008
