RESUMO
Purpose: To develop a new age?appropriate visual function questionnaire for visually impaired children. Methods: The study was conducted in north India in 20,955 (97.3%) children ?15 years who underwent visual acuity examination. Of these 20,955 children, a total of 722 children were referred with unaided visual acuity less than 6/12 in any eye. Among these referred children, parents in the age group of 5–9 years and children between 10 and 15 years underwent interviews using LV Prasad Functional Visual Questionnaire?20 (LVP FVQ 20) and Indian Visual Functioning Questionnaire?33 (IND VFQ?33). Following this, multiple steps were undertaken that involved expert opinion for the removal of items on basis of zero variance and factor analysis along with calculation of Cronbach’s alpha. Results: A Cronbach’ alpha of 0.834 was calculated for the younger age group and 0.931 for the higher age group of children. Conclusion: A new robust age?appropriate questionnaire was developed and it was observed that there was a significant change in median score (that was derived for various domains after calculating the median for the items in various domains asked pre? and post?intervention in the form of glasses or surgery) for quality of visual function in the visually impaired children. A significant change in functional vision of visually impaired children (P < 0.005) was observed in both age groups
RESUMO
Purpose: There are no effective treatments currently available for optic nerve transection injuries. Stem cell therapy represents a feasible future treatment option. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cell (hUC?MSC) transplantation in rats with optic nerve injury. Methods: Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups: a no?treatment control group (n = 6), balanced salt solution (BSS) treatment group (n = 6), and hUC?MSCs treatment group (n = 6). Visual functions were assessed by flash visual evoked potential (fVEP) at baseline, Week 3, and Week 6 after optic nerve crush injury. Right eyes were enucleated after 6 weeks for histology. Results: The fVEP showed shortened latency delay and increased amplitude in the hUC?MSCs treated group compared with control and BSS groups. Higher cellular density was detected in the hUC?MSC treated group compared with the BSS and control groups. Co?localized expression of STEM 121 and anti?S100B antibody was observed in areas of higher nuclear density, both in the central and peripheral regions. Conclusion: Peribulbar transplantation of hUC?MSCs demonstrated cellular integration that can potentially preserve the optic nerve function with a significant shorter latency delay in fVEP and higher nuclear density on histology, and immunohistochemical studies observed cell migration particularly to the peripheral regions of the optic nerve.