A Survey on Contact Lens Care in Young Adolescent Student

PURPOSE: The present study was conducted to gather valid data for promoting public eye health among adolescent contact lens wearers by investigating the current practices of contact lenses wearers. METHODS: A questionnaire regarding use and care of contact lenses was distributed to middle and high school students. A total of 920 students (472 males, 448 females) were enrolled and the purpose of the study was explained to the students. RESULTS: Among all student, 49% had myopia (male 44%, female 54%) and 12% hyperopia (male 12%, female 13%). In addition, 70% of the subjects chose to wear glasses for vision correction, 27% (male 4%, female 50%) reported they have worn contact lenses and 64% of those were soft contact lenses. The age for starting contact lenses was between 14-16 years of age (63%). Most students (95%) purchased their contact lenses from an optical store. Many (89%) cleaned the contact lenses with cleaning solution on a daily basis, however, only 25% of the students received instructions on how to clean the lens properly. Common complaints associated with use in descending order were hyperemia (31%), foreign body sensation (19%), tearing (16%), pruritis (13%), and keratitis (9%). The subjects reported that the main cause of complications was due to the users' lens handling (93%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study findings showed many adolescents have misleading knowledge regarding use of contact lenses. There is a need for better education of young contact lens users regarding the contact lens care.

Lateral Geniculate Body Evoked Potentials Elicited by Visual and Electrical Stimulation

PURPOSE: Blind individuals who have photoreceptor loss are known to perceive phosphenes with electrical stimulation of their remaining retinal ganglion cells. We proposed that implantable lateral geniculate body (LGB) stimulus electrode arrays could be used to generate phosphene vision. We attempted to refine the basic reference of the electrical evoked potentials (EEPs) elicited by microelectrical stimulations of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB of a domestic pig, and then compared it to visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by short-flash stimuli. METHODS: For visual function measurement, VEPs in response to short-flash stimuli on the left eye of the domestic pig were assessed over the visual cortex at position Oz with the reference electrode at Fz. After anesthesia, linearly configured platinum wire electrodes were inserted into the optic nerve, optic track and LGB. To determine the optimal stimulus current, EEPs were recorded repeatedly with controlling the pulse and power. The threshold of current and charge density to elicit EEPs at 0.3 ms pulse duration was about ±10 microA. RESULTS: Our experimental results showed that visual cortex activity can be effectively evoked by stimulation of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB using penetrating electrodes. The latency of P1 was more shortened as the electrical stimulation was closer to LGB. The EEPs of two-channel in the visual cortex demonstrated a similar pattern with stimulation of different spots of the stimulating electrodes. We found that the LGB-stimulated EEP pattern was very similar to the simultaneously generated VEP on the control side, although implicit time deferred. CONCLUSIONS: EEPs and VEPs derived from visual-system stimulation were compared. The LGB-stimulated EEP wave demonstrated a similar pattern to the VEP waveform except implicit time, indicating prosthetic-based electrical stimulation of the LGB could be utilized for the blind to perceive vision of phosphenes.

Outcome and Significance of Silicone Oil Tamponade in Patients with Chronic Serous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of silicone oil tamponade in patients with chronic serous retinal detachment (SRD) persisting for three months after the resolution of ocular inflammation. METHODS: A total of 17 eyes of 17 patients diagnosed with chronic SRD persisting for three months after the resolution of ocular inflammation and with high risk of phthisis bulbi by secondary ocular hypotony and macular detachment by subretinal fibrous membrane formation were subjected to surgical intervention. Subjects underwent silicone oil tamponade after surgical drainage of subretinal fluid. Retrospective analyses on anatomical and functional success rates were then performed. RESULTS: Anatomical success with retinal reattachment was observed in ten of the 17 eyes (58.82%), while functional success measured as difference in the best-corrected visual acuity before and after the surgery were logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) 1.95 +/- 0.66 and logMAR 1.51 +/- 0.66, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that, in patients with chronic SRD despite prolonged medical treatment and resolution of inflammation, surgical drainage of subretinal fluid with silicone oil tamponade can achieve anatomical and functional success.

Outcome and Significance of Silicone Oil Tamponade in Patients with Chronic Serous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of silicone oil tamponade in patients with chronic serous retinal detachment (SRD) persisting for three months after the resolution of ocular inflammation. METHODS: A total of 17 eyes of 17 patients diagnosed with chronic SRD persisting for three months after the resolution of ocular inflammation and with high risk of phthisis bulbi by secondary ocular hypotony and macular detachment by subretinal fibrous membrane formation were subjected to surgical intervention. Subjects underwent silicone oil tamponade after surgical drainage of subretinal fluid. Retrospective analyses on anatomical and functional success rates were then performed. RESULTS: Anatomical success with retinal reattachment was observed in ten of the 17 eyes (58.82%), while functional success measured as difference in the best-corrected visual acuity before and after the surgery were logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) 1.95 +/- 0.66 and logMAR 1.51 +/- 0.66, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that, in patients with chronic SRD despite prolonged medical treatment and resolution of inflammation, surgical drainage of subretinal fluid with silicone oil tamponade can achieve anatomical and functional success.