[Spectrum of ophthalmologic and social rehabilitation at the Tübinger Low-Vision Clinic : a retrospective analysis for 1999-2005]. / Ophthalmologische und soziale Rehabilitation sehbehinderter Patienten : Eine retrospektive Analyse an der Tübinger Sehbehindertenambulanz von 1999-2005.

BACKGROUND: In addition to medical care, the visual and social rehabilitation of low-vision patients is of increasing importance. The aim of our study was to evaluate the actual spectrum of patients concerning diagnoses and appropriate low-vision aids at a low-vision clinic. METHODS: In a retrospective study, the medical records of 4,711 patients treated at our low-vision clinic from January 1999 to December 2005 were reviewed and analyzed. The main outcome measurements were age, ophthalmologic diagnoses, magnification requirement, and prescribed low-vision aids, as well as social and professional rehabilitation measures. To evaluate the efficiency of visual rehabilitation, reading speed was measured in a subgroup of 930 patients before and after administration of low-vision aids. RESULTS: Age-related macular degeneration was, at 40%, the most frequent diagnosis. Other main diagnoses were tapetoretinal dystrophies, optic atrophy, and diabetic retinopathy. The median magnification need was 4x. A highly significant correlation existed between the measured magnification power and the magnification factor of the prescribed low-vision aids. Visual rehabilitation was frequently sufficient with simple optical low-vision aids such as high-plus reading additions and magnifiers. Closed-circuit television systems were necessary in 26%; however, 85% of these patients had a high magnification need of more than 6 x. For distance vision, a monocular telescope was the low-vision aid prescribed most often. A high proportion of patients needed more than two low-vision aids for different application areas. Forty percent of patients needed special social and professional rehabilitation measures. In a subgroup of 930 patients, the mean reading speed was 35+/-50 words/min before the use of low-vision aids, which increased significantly to 81+/-46 words/min with the use of such aids. Therefore, the reading speed essentially doubled following the use of low-vision aids. CONCLUSION: Our results provide actual, quantitative data about the need for and success of rehabilitation for visually impaired patients. A large number of patients suffer from age-related macular degeneration. Independent from the causal ophthalmologic diagnoses, most patients benefited greatly from the rehabilitation measures provided by the low-vision service and were thus able to improve their quality of life. In the face of the increasing number of visually impaired elderly patients, rehabilitation should start as early as possible.

New standardised texts for assessing reading performance in four European languages.

AIMS: To develop standardised texts for assessing reading speed during repeated measurements and across languages for normal subjects and low vision patients. METHODS: 10 texts were designed by linguistic experts in English, Finnish, French, and German. The texts were at the level of a sixth grade reading material (reading ages 10-12 years) and were matched for length (830 (plus or minus 2) characters) and syntactic complexity, according to the syntactic prediction locality theory of Gibson. 100 normally sighted native speaking volunteers aged 18-35 years (25 per language) read each text aloud in randomised order. The newly designed text battery was then applied to test the reading performance of 100 normally sighted native speaking volunteers aged 60-85 years (25 per language). RESULTS: Reading speed was not significantly different with at least seven texts in all four languages. The maximum reading speed difference between texts, in the same language was 6.8% (Finnish). Average reading speeds (SD) in characters per minute are, for the young observer group: English 1234 (147), Finnish 1263 (142), French 1214 (152), German 1126 (105). The group of older readers showed statistically significant lower average reading speeds: English 951 (97), Finnish 1014 (179), French 1131 (160), German 934 (117). CONCLUSION: The authors have developed a set of standardised, homogeneous, and comparable texts in four European languages (English, Finnish, French, German). These texts will be a valuable tool for measuring reading speed in international studies in the field of reading and low vision research.

Monitoring retinal function in neovascular maculopathy using multifocal electroretinography - early and long-term correlation with clinical findings.

PURPOSE: To objectively investigate and longitudinally monitor retinal function in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and myopia using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG). METHODS: Patients with classic and occult subfoveal CNV secondary either to AMD or to myopia were enrolled in the study. The mfERGs were performed at the beginning of the study and every 3 months subsequently during a follow-up period of 15 months. In addition, standardized visual acuity testing, ophthalmologic examinations, color fundus photographs and fluorescein angiography were performed. The mfERG records were derived with the VERIS-System (Electro-Diagnostic Imaging, San Mateo, Calif., USA); 103 locations within the central 50 degrees in diameter were stimulated concurrently by means of the m-sequence technique. Fixation stability was monitored throughout the recording session with an infrared eye monitoring system (VERIS Refractor/Camera unit). The first-order response component was extracted for each stimulated retinal location. The response densities of the first-order kernel were evaluated as a function of eccentricity from the center (ring 1) to the periphery of the stimulated area (ring 6). The results were compared to those derived from age-matched normal control groups. For each patient mfERG responses measured on follow-up visits were compared to each other to evaluate and monitor changes in retinal function. These changes were tested for correlation with those observed in other clinical and electroretinographic findings. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson coefficient. RESULTS: Subfoveal neovascular maculopathy was associated with a reduction in response density most prominent within the central 5 degrees over the area affected by CNV detected either at the beginning of the study or at the follow-up recordings. During the follow-up period patients 1 and 4 showed stabilization or a slight increase in response densities over the neovascular lesion-complex and a corresponding stabilization or slight increase in visual acuity accompanied by a decrease in the activity of the neovascular lesion as determined by fluorescein angiography. Patient 2 revealed an increase in response density correlating with an increase in visual acuity and decrease in lesion size. In the contralateral eye of this patient the response density dropped in the area of new subfoveal CNV. In patient 3 continuous progression of the disease was documented by fluorescein angiography and visual acuity. It correlated well with a continuous decrease in retinal response densities during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Objective monitoring of retinal function and correlation with morphological and psychophysical findings was at least in part possible in patients suffering from AMD and myopia. In all of four patients whose subfoveal CNV was documented by fluorescein angiography. Response densities were reduced particularly in the central 5 degrees and in visual acuity. The mfERG data showed a moderate to high statistical correlation with visual function as measured by visual acuity. On the other hand, the greatest linear dimension of the lesion size showed only a weak to moderate statistical correlation with both the response densities of the mfERG and the visual acuity. We conclude that the size of the CNV complex does not represent an accurate measure of retinal function in neovascular maculopathy. The good correlation of the mfERG data with visual acuity suggests that it may serve for objective assessment of retinal function, of the areas overlying the CNV. It shows potential as a valuable tool for longitudinal monitoring of AMD patients.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human olfaction.

Olfaction is our basic sense phylogenetically and embryologically. Little is known, however, about how the human brain encodes the quality of odors, odor-associated memories, and emotions. Olfactory information is projected from the olfactory bulb to the primary olfactory cortex, which is composed of the anterior olfactory nucleus, the olfactory tubercle, the piriform cortex, the amygdala, the periamygdaloid region, and the entorhinal cortex. From there, the primary olfactory cortex projects to secondary olfactory regions including the hippocampus, ventral striatum and pallidum, hypothalamus, thalamus, orbitofrontal cortex, agranular insular cortex, and cingulate gyrus. Functional MR studies using olfactory stimuli as paradigms show activation of many of these areas and can advance our understanding of odor perception in humans.

[Clinical findings in autosomal recessive syndrome of blue cone hypersensitivity]. / Klinische Befunde bei autosomal-rezessivem Syndrom der Blauzapfenhypersensitivität.

BACKGROUND: Intrafamilial variability of the syndrome of night blindness, maculopathy, and enhanced S-cone hypersensitivity was examined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Siblings with a history of night blindness and reduced visual acuity were examined clinically, psychophysically, electroretinographically (ERG), and electro-oculographically (EOG). RESULTS: The siblings had had night blindness since early childhood and reduced visual acuity since the age of 20 years. Ophthalmoscopy showed degenerative, pigmented changes and subretinal spots, while one sibling had cystic lesions in the fovea. Scotopic ERG showed no rod-driven responses, while large, slow waveforms were detected in response to bright flashes. Photopic ERG induced responses similar in time, amplitude, and configuration to those of the dark-adapted ERG. The b-wave configuration was unchanged in response to chromatic stimuli. However, photopic ERG was more sensitive to blue and white than to red stimuli. The light peak on EOG was reduced. CONCLUSIONS: The enhanced S-cone sensitivity syndrome was expressed to a different degree of severity and probably inherited in an autosomal recessive mode. These unusual ERG findings may be due to a depressed rod system and an increased number of S-cone photoreceptors, postreceptoral circuits, and S-cone sensitive ganglion cells.

Integrin-mediated intracellular Ca2+ signaling in Jurkat T lymphocytes.

T lymphocytes interact with components of the extracellular matrix after transendothelial migration on their way to sites of inflammation. To characterize the molecular basis of the interaction between T lymphocytes with different extracellular matrix proteins, we investigated the role of intracellular Ca2+ as a signal mediating such interactions and identified the cell surface integrins involved in this process. When Jurkat T lymphocytes loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 were placed on coverslips coated with human fibronectin, human collagen types I, IV, and VI, human tenascin, human laminin I, or mouse laminin I, an elevation in intracellular Ca2+ concentration was observed. In contrast, contact of the Jurkat T lymphocytes with vitronectin and thrombospondin did not induce Ca2+ signals in more cells as compared with control measurements in which cells were in contact with only BSA or polylysine. Furthermore, the percentage of Jurkat T lymphocytes responding with Ca2+ signals to collagen types I and IV, fibronectin, and laminin I was completely reduced to levels observed on BSA or polylysine when the cells were pretreated with specific anti-integrin Abs, suggesting a role for cell surface integrins as mediators of cell matrix-induced intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Similar results were obtained with peripheral human T lymphocytes activated by phytohemagglutinin.