Month: November 2014

Acupuncture may eventually become another optional treatment apart from patching for lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, especially among older children who have a poorer response to patching, say researchers from China in Archives of Ophthalmology. Approximately 0.3 to 5% of people globally are affected by lazy eye, the authors report as background information.

Lazy eye is a condition that appears during early childhood – the eyesight in one of the eyes does not develop as it should. In the majority of cases only one eye is affected. When a child has amblyopia their brain focuses on one eye much more than the other; in fact, the lazy eye may be ignored altogether. Lack of stimulation of that eye may result in the visual brain cells not maturing normally. Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular blindness (partial or total blindness in one eye) in the USA.

Between one-third and a half of all lazy eye cases are caused by variations in the degree of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness) between the two eyes (anisometropia). These variations are more effectively corrected with glasses or contact lenses when a child is aged up to seven years. Unfortunately, when the child is older, for example from 7 to 12, visual correction alone is only effective in about 30% of cases.

The addition of patching one eye – known as occlusion therapy – can improve children’s response rates considerably as long as they comply with the doctors instructions. Patching the eye brings with it emotional problems, and also a risk of reverse amblyopia.

Jianhao Zhao, M.D., of Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, China, wanted to see how effective acupuncture was compared to patching for the treatment of lazy eye. The authors wrote that acupuncture has been successfully used for dry eye and myopia treatment.

They carried out a randomized, controlled trial with 88 children. They were assigned to one of two groups:

Acupuncture Group – 43 children. They were given five treatment sessions each week, which targeted five needle insertion sites, also known as acupoints.
Patching Group – 45 children. Their good eye was patched for two hours each day. They had to do near-vision activities with their lazy eye for one hour each day. Near vision activities include reading or typing.

After a total of 15 weeks’ worth of treatment:

Visual acuity improved by 2.3 lines in the Acupuncture Group
Visual acuity improved by 1.8 lines in the Patching Group
75.6% (31) of the children in the Acupuncture Group experienced an improvement of at least two lines
66.7% (28) of the children in the Patching Group experienced an improvement of at least two lines
In the Acupuncture Group lazy eye was considered as resolved in 41.5% of cases
In the Patching Group lazy eye was considered as resolved in 16.7% of cases

No serious side effects were detected in either group. In both groups, treatment was well tolerated, the authors wrote. The Acupuncture Group children had their treatment after school so that their studies were not disrupted.

The authors wrote:
“Although the treatment effect of acupuncture appears promising, the mechanism underlying its success as a treatment for amblyopia remains unclear.”
The authors believe that well targeted acupuncture may alter the activity of the part of the brain that receives data from the eyes – the visual cortex. They add that the treatment may also enhance blood flow to the eye and surrounding tissues. The generation of compounds that support the growth of retinal nerves may also be stimulated.

The researchers concluded:
“The findings from this report indicate that the treatment effect of acupuncture for amblyopia is equivalent to the treatment effect of patching for amblyopia. However, only patients with anisometropic amblyopia were involved in our study and the follow-up period was relatively short. Moreover, acupuncture itself is a very complicated system of therapy.

Differences exist among acupuncturists, and there are divergent manipulation modes, stimulation parameters, treatment styles and subjective sensations evoked by acupuncture stimulation. Because of the good results obtained in our study, the acupoints that we used could be considered for use in clinical practice.”
“Randomized Controlled Trial of Patching vs Acupuncture for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children Aged 7 to 12 Years”
Jianhao Zhao, MD; Dennis S. C. Lam, MD, FRCOphth; Li Jia Chen, PhD; Yunxiu Wang, BMed; Chongren Zheng, DEpid; Qiaoer Lin, DN; Srinivas K. Rao, FRCS; Dorothy S. P. Fan, FRCS; Mingzhi Zhang, MD; Ping Chung Leung, MD; Robert Ritch, MD, FRCOphth
Arch Ophthalmol. 2010;128(12):1510-1517. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2010.306

Elderly adults can improve their vision with perceptual training, according to a study from the University of California, Riverside and Boston University that has implications for the health and mobility of senior citizens.

The study, “Perceptual learning, aging, and improved visual performance in early stages of visual processing,” appears in the Journal of Vision. It was funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging.

UCR researchers G. John Andersen, professor of psychology; Rui Ni, formerly a postdoctoral researcher; graduate student Jeffrey D. Bower; and Boston University psychology professor Takeo Watanabe conducted a series of experiments to determine whether repeated performance of certain visual tasks that are at the limits that one can see can improve the vision of adults older than 65.

“We found that with just two days of training, in one-hour sessions, with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects,” Andersen said. “The improvement was maintained for up to three months and the results were dependent on the location in the visual field where the stimuli were located – suggesting that the brain changed in early levels of visual cortex.” The visual cortex is the part of the brain that processes visual information.

Age-related changes in vision – such as contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual acuity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception and motion perception – have been substantiated in numerous previous studies. This is the first study that demonstrates that perceptual training can be used to improve vision among the elderly in the earliest levels of visual processing.

The researchers used a texture discrimination test in which the participants were presented with stimuli consisting of a letter embedded in the center of a field of horizontally oriented lines. In addition to the letter, an array of peripherally located lines was oriented diagonally and formed either a vertical or horizontal object, always presented in the same quadrant. That was followed quickly with the display of a masking pattern. The task was to identify the central letter and the peripheral object.

Improvements in vision were not due to practice or familiarity with the task, the researchers determined. And, the improved performance from perceptual training was maintained for at least three months. These results show a high degree of brain plasticity among the elderly and suggest that this technique is useful for recovering from declines in vision due to normal aging.

“Given the clear impact of age-related declines in vision on driving, mobility, and falls, the present study suggests that perceptual learning may be a useful tool for improving the health and well-being of an older po

pulation,” the researchers concluded.

After age 60 there is a steady increase in the incidence of falls and automobile crashes that are associated with changes in visual processing. This research indicates that behavioral interventions are likely to be very useful for improving safety and quality of life as we get older, Andersen said.

Source:
Bettye Miller
University of California – Riverside

US marshals seized 12,682 applicator tubes of Age Intervention Eyelash, the use of which can damage some users’ eyesight. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked the marshals to seize the cosmetic eye products, which have a market value of over $2 million.

According to the makers, Jan Marini Skin Research, Age Intervention Eyelash promotes the growth of eyelashes – a claim that is not proven. For a new drug product to be marketed legally, its safety and effectiveness has to be proved, and then approved by the FDA. In a press release, the FDA says it takes its responsibility of protecting Americans from unapproved drugs seriously.

The FDA says it considers said products to be an adulterated cosmetic – it contains bimatoprost, an active ingredient found in an FDA-approved drug for patients with high pressure inside the eye. Those using the FDA-approved prescription drug as well as the Age Intervention Eyelash run an elevated risk of optic nerve damage because the extra bimatoprost dose can raise the prescription drug’s impact on the eye – this can lead to poorer vision, and even blindness.

The bimatoprost found in Age Intervention Eyelash can cause other adverse side effects, including swelling of the retina (macular edema) and inflammation of the eye (uveitis), which can also lead to decreased vision.

The complaint and request for seizure was filed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, and coordinated with the FDA. The California Department of Public Health’s Food and Drug Branch had previously embargoed and seized the products at the San Jose facility. The manufacturers had told the FDA that they had ceased manufacturing and shipping Age Intervention Eyelash products containing bimatoprost in 2006.

If any consumer, dermatologist or esthetician still has Age Intervention Eyelash products, they should discard them, says the FDA. If you are a consumer, have used the said product, and feel you are experiencing any of the described side-effects you should see your health care provider immediately.

— Jan Marini Skin Research
— Jan Marini Skin Research response regarding recent FDA action

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Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Bayer HealthCare announced positive top-line results for VEGF Trap-Eye (aflibercept ophthalmic solution) in the Phase 3 GALILEO study in patients with macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The positive results from the GALILEO study confirm the results of the similarly designed Phase 3 COPERNICUS study that were announced in December 2010.

In GALILEO, the primary endpoint at week 24 was achieved: 60.2 percent of patients receiving monthly VEGF Trap-Eye 2 milligrams (mg) gained at least 15 letters of vision from baseline, compared to 22.1 percent of patients receiving sham injections (p

Phase 3 GALILEO Study Results

In the GALILEO study, 60.2 percent of patients receiving VEGF Trap-Eye 2mg monthly gained at least 15 letters of vision from baseline, compared to 22.1 percent of patients receiving sham injections (p

A Cardiff University scientist is to receive a prestigious international prize in recognition of outstanding research breaking new ground in the understanding of the eye and its disorders.

Professor Wolfgang Drexler, from the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, will receive the Cogan Award from the American Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

The Cogan Award is presented annually in recognition of a researcher, 40 years of age or younger, who has made important and worthwhile contributions to research in ophthalmology or visual science that are directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, and who shows substantial promise for future research.

Professor Drexler was selected to receive the award for his role in the development of the Optical Coherence Tomography technique leading to unprecedented applications in the diagnosis and better understanding of retinal diseases. This technique is similar to ultrasound imaging, but enables non-invasive high-resolution three dimensional visualisation of the internal microstructure as well as function of the eye, especially the retina, using special laser light instead of ultrasound.

Professor Drexler said: “This prize is an honourable reward for the excellent accomplishments of the members of my group and co-workers, an important appreciation for the School as well as Cardiff University and a clear indicator of the current importance of multidisciplinary research, especially in the field of biomedical imaging”

Professor Tim Wess, Head of the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, said: “I congratulate Professor Drexler on this outstanding achievement. This award adds to Cardiff’s internationally reputation for the highest standards of academic research in optometry and vision sciences.”

Professor Drexler is the holder of one of Cardiff University’s new ‘link chairs’, appointed to lead major interdisciplinary research.

The award coincides with the completion of a new ??20M centre for the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences which will enable it to continue to develop world-class internationally competitive teaching and research.

Contact: Professor Wolfgang Drexler

Cardiff University

What began as research into how diabetics could possibly preserve their eyesight has led to findings that could prolong the vision of children afflicted with retinoblastoma.

Dolores Takemoto, a Kansas State University professor of biochemistry who was researching protein kinase C gamma in the lens of the human eye, found her work taking a fascinating turn when she discovered a correlation between the protein Coonexin46 and hypoxia — a deficiency of oxygen which kills normal tissue cells.

According to the data, Coonexin46, or Cx46, appears in the body during these levels of low oxygen. Besides the eye, which is one of the body’s only naturally occurring hypoxic tissue, Cx46 also is present in cancer cells since the cells seal themselves off from the oxygen carried by the blood vessels, thus creating a hypoxic environment.

Takemoto believes the findings will lead to serious advancements in treating retinoblastoma, a cancer that forms in the tissue of the retina — the light-sensitive layers of nerve tissue on the back of the eye. It occurs in 300 U.S. children under the age of 5 each year, according to the National Cancer Institute.

“When a child comes in with retinoblastoma in one eye it’s usually too late in the process to save that eye, and, it will spread to the other eye,” Takemoto said.

Once an eye becomes cancerous, it has to be removed to prevent the tumor from spreading. Too often, though, Takemoto said, by the time the tumor is noticed in one eye, it has already spread to the second, resulting in a child being permanently blind.

Through her research, Takemoto believes a siRNA medication can be invented which can be injected monthly into the noncancerous eye, preventing tumor growth. siRNA, or small interfering ribonucleic acid, is a class of double-stranded RNA molecules that can be used to interfere with the expression of a specific gene. In this case, the siRNA would suppress Cx46, which allows a tumor to exist in a hypoxic environment. In this manner, the tumor can be prevented from growing at the early hypoxic stage.

Using a mouse model for retinoblastoma, the Takemoto lab has found that use of siRNA to lower the levels of Cx46 will prevent tumor formation.

An international application has been filed with the Patent Cooperation Treaty regarding the findings.

During her trials with Cx46, Takemoto collaborated with Thu Annelise Nguyen, associate professor of toxicology at K-State. The two examined biopsies of MCF-7 breast cancer, where they also found Cx46 present. Takemoto said the same was true for samples of colon cancer.

“Any time there’s a drop in oxygen within the body, Cx46 appears,” Takemoto said.

While Takemoto’s research into Cx46 is focused on the eye, Nguyen is studying Cx46 in breast cancer. She is currently exploring drug discovery and drug testing related to breast cancer.

Besides treating tumors, Takemoto said she believes these findings could help with treatment in acute or chronic heart disease, heart attacks, retinal ischemia, ischemia of the brain, blood pressure problems and glaucoma, as well as for health applications in animals.

Findings have been published in an online edition of the International Journal of Cancer, “A novel role of gap junction connexin46 protein to protect breast tumors from hypoxia.” Publication in a printed edition will follow.

Takemoto has recently been named a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. She will present her data in May at an association conference, where hers will be one of the highlighted talks.

Takemoto’s research was made possible by a grant of more than $366,000 from the National Eye Institute in fall 2009.

Source
Kansas State University

Scientific American Mind has dedicated its entire issue to vision researchers Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD, and Stephen Macknik, PhD. at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. All of the content for the 72-page prestigious magazine features visual illusions that have been researched by the Barrow scientists. The magazine will be on newsstands worldwide through Monday, July 22.

In the magazine, the scientists explain why studying illusions can help vision researchers in their work. Eye-popping articles and illustrations about visual illusions fill the publication.

“Visual illusions demonstrate the ways in which the brain can fail to re-create the physical world,” says Dr. Martinez-Conde. By studying these failings, we can learn about the computational methods used by the brain to construct visual experience.”

The duo have been writing a monthly article for ScientificAmerican for more than two years. One of their articles was the most viewed in the website’s history. About 10 months ago, Scientific American’s editor contacted them about doing an entire issue on illusion. Drs. Martinez-Conde and Macknik contributed 10 articles and 169 illustrations to the special edition.

The researchers have a bold and unusual scientific approach to understanding perceptual puzzles and recently have been working with several well-known Las Vegas magicians to help advance science’s understanding of the relationship between vision and the brain.

Dr. Martinez-Conde runs the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience, and Dr. Macknik runs the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology at Barrow.

Source:
Carmelle Malkovich
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

An innovative campaign by broadcasters earlier this year has dramatically increased public awareness of Audio Description (AD), according to research released by Ofcom . The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) welcomed today’s report. The research found that more audio described programmes would increase usage among blind and partially sighted people, and that it improves their understanding and enjoyment of TV. RNIB now calls on Ofcom to review and recommend an increase of the current AD targets and hopes that broadcasters build on the success of their campaign by audio describing a wider choice of programmes.

Audio description is an additional commentary that describes body language, expressions and movements, making the story clear through sound. It can transform the enjoyment of TV for people who have difficulty seeing what’s happening on the screen, including the two million people in the UK who have sight problems.

Julianne Marriott, RNIB Campaigner, said: “We are delighted with the results of this independent research and call on Ofcom to review and recommend an increase of the current AD targets. The TV trails were key to increasing awareness of the benefits of AD among 60 per cent of UK adults. We hope that the broadcasters, who have invested significant resource promoting AD, will respond to the success of their imaginative trailers and continue to support the service by providing a wider choice of programmes with AD.”

Most broadcasters are currently required to audio describe eight per cent of their digital TV programmes. These targets were set within the 2003 Communications Act when awareness of AD was much lower and fewer people had digital TV. As the rollout of digital TV switchover begins later this year RNIB is calling on Ofcom to review these targets to ensure a greater choice of programmes with AD.

Trevor Franklin, a TV fan who went blind five years ago, said: “I’ve watched television all my life, so it was a great shock not being able to see things or follow what was going on. Then I discovered audio description, which is amazing. It’s opened a whole new world to me. But there just isn’t enough. I’d like to see more AD programmes and a greater choice available.”

Julianne Marriott continued: “RNIB will continue to raise awareness of AD and advise people how to access it. We look forward to continuing our work with Ofcom and the broadcasters to ensure that people with sight problems can enjoy TV just as much as sighted people.”

Notes

1. Visit the Ofcom website to view the research mentioned within this press release.

2. Audio description targets: The 2003 Communications Act requires Ofcom to implement targets set by Parliament for access services. The target for most TV channels to reach is to audio describe 10 per cent of their programming. The target for subtitling is 80 per cent and signing five per cent.

3. There are around two million people in the UK with sight problems and every day another 100 people will start to lose their sight. By the time we reach 60, one in 12 people will become blind or partially sighted. By 75 this rises to one in six of us.

4. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem, RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999.

Royal National Institute of Blind People

Scientists have discovered that even in adults born with extremely impaired sight, the brain can rewire itself to recognize sections of the retina that have been restored by gene therapy.

The discovery of the brain’s surprising adaptability comes a year after three blind volunteers received doses of corrective genes to selected areas of their retinas at Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

Now, more than a year later, researchers say tiny portions of the patients’ retinas that have received gene therapy have kept their restored function, as much as 1,000-fold increases for day vision and 63,000-fold for night vision.

But in an unexpected finding, scientists writing in Thursday’s (Aug. 13) New England Journal of Medicine say the treated parts of the retinas may have acquired enough image-processing strength to rival the retina’s normal center for visual perception, called the fovea, for the brain’s attention.

The discovery suggests that even in adults with mature visual circuitry, the brain can find new ways to process optical information, say researchers with the UF Powell Gene Therapy Center and the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.

“When one patient came back for her 12-month visit, she said she could read the digital clock in her parents’ car with her treated eye – something she was never able to do before,” said William W. Hauswirth, Ph.D., a professor in the ophthalmology department at the UF College of Medicine. “That prompted us to measure where her gaze was fixed while looking at a variety of dim targets. This showed that she now has two preferred centers of vision rather than one, depending on the brightness of the object.”

The new region is more sensitive to light, but it is not as precise as the fovea for making bright images sharp.

“Her brain tells her to use the best part of retina she can, depending on the situation, so she automatically shifts back and forth between the usual region and the region we supplied to her,” said Hauswirth, who is associated with the Powell Gene Therapy Center and the UF Genetics Institute.

The patients have a rare, incurable form of blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis type 2, the most common cause of blindness in infants and children. In the type 2 form, photoreceptor cells cannot respond to light because a gene called RPE65 does not properly produce a protein necessary for healthy vision.

In the study led by Samuel G. Jacobson, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania, and supported by the National Eye Institute, researchers used an apparently harmless virus that already exists in most people to deliver RPE65 to a small area of the retina.

In October 2008, researchers reported that the study volunteers – one woman and two men ranging from 21 to 24 years old – could see brighter areas and perhaps some images.

In the current New England Journal of Medicine report, scientists say vision in volunteers’ treated eyes remains slightly improved in dim lighting conditions. But the “excursions of fixation” from the usual focal point of the retina to the treated area nearby in one of the patients was a welcome surprise.

“This finding required her to tell us she was seeing these objects,” Hauswirth said. “What’s truly astounding is the brain even in an adult is still adaptable enough to learn to use these regions of the retina.”

The viral vectors used to deliver the gene therapy were manufactured by the Powell Gene Therapy Center, directed by Barry J. Byrne, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of molecular genetics and the principal investigator for the trial at UF.

“What’s truly been remarkable so far, beyond the gene therapy to the retina, is how well the visual parts of the brain are adapting to the treated eye,” said John G. Flannery, Ph.D., a professor of vision science, and neurobiology at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, who did not participate in the research. “You could almost say the patients’ brains are getting better at paying attention to the gene-therapy treated area, because it is functioning at a higher level.”

The letter to The New England Journal of Medicine was submitted by Jacobson, Artur V. Cideciyan, Ph.D., Tomas S. Aleman, M.D., Sharon B. Schwartz, Ph.D., Elizabeth A.M. Windsor, B.A., Alexander Sumaroka, Ph.D., and Alejandro J. Roman, M.S., of the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania; and Hauswirth, Byrne, Shalesh Kaushal, M.D., Sanford L. Boye, M.S., and Thomas J. Conlon, Ph.D., of UF.

Source:
John Pastor

University of Florida

Compared to glasses, contact lens wear significantly improves how children and teenagers feel about their appearance and participation in activities a newly published study shows. These quality of life improvement measures following a switch from glasses to contacts indicate that children eight to 12 years of age who require vision correction should be given the option of being fitted with contact lenses say study investigators. Researchers reported the results of the study in the November issue of Eye & Contact Lens, the official publication of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists.

Teenagers are frequently fitted with contact lenses to correct refractive errors by eye care practitioners, but children younger than 13 are generally not given the option of contact lens wear, often because eye care practitioners or parents believe that children don’t have the maturity to properly care for them.

“Children as young as eight years old who need vision correction are as capable as teenagers at wearing and caring for soft contact lenses and should be presented with the option of contact lens wear when vision correction is required,” says Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D., from the Ohio State University College of Optometry and study leader of The Contact Lens in Pediatrics (CLIP) Study. “This research demonstrates that both children and teens derive a number of quality of life benefits from contact lenses, which leads to greater satisfaction with their vision correction.”

“Contact lenses often provide a more convenient mode of correction for young wearers and this study demonstrates that both children and teens can adapt to contact lens wear and derive similar benefits,” adds Mary Lou French, O.D., F.A.A.O., M.Ed, a private practitioner in Orland Park, IL. “With a wide variety of contact lenses available, eye care practitioners can work with young patients and their parents to determine what modality best fits each child’s personality, maturity and lifestyle.”

About the Study

The CLIP Study is the first clinical investigation to compare children and teens using silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The study compared the function and quality of life benefits of silicone hydrogel contact lenses among first-time wearers ages eight to 12 and 13 to 17.

Children ages 8-12 (n =84) and teenagers ages 13-17 (n=85) who participated in the study required vision correction to see optimally. Fifty-seven percent of the subjects were female and 48 percent were white. Following baseline examinations, participants were initially fitted with either ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ or ACUVUE® ADVANCE® for ASTIGMATISM.

Participants completed the Pediatric Refractive Error Profile (PREP) survey at the baseline visit, while wearing glasses, and at the one-week and one-month visits while wearing contact lenses. The PREP survey compares the vision-specific quality of life between children wearing contact lenses and children wearing glasses. PREP scores are calculated on a scale that ranges from zero (poor quality of life) to 100 (excellent quality of life).

The mean overall PREP for glasses score was similar for both groups 63.6 ?�10.7 for children and 63.0 ?� 9.8 for teens (p=0.12). Likewise, both groups reported similar PREP scores for contact lenses. The children’s overall PREP score for contact lenses at one-week was 74.7 ?� 10.4 and the teens’ average score was 71.8 ?� 9.2 (p=0.10). At one month, children’s overall PREP for contact lenses score was 74.5 ?� 9.6 and teens’ average score was 72.1 ?� 8.7 (p=0.23). “The data show that children and teens perceive similar improvement in their quality of life when wearing contact lenses versus glasses,” says Dr. Walline.

Participants were also asked questions apart from the PREP, like how they felt about wearing contact lenses during sporting activities; 95.9 percent of children and 92.6 percent of teens said they “loved” or “liked” to wear contact lenses during sports. When asked about their sporting performance, 58.9 percent of children and 62 percent of teens felt their performance was “much better” or “better” while wearing contact lenses.

When asked which they liked better (or equally), 71.2 percent of children and 78.5 percent of teens said that they liked wearing contact lenses “a little better” or “a lot better” than glasses. Children said that they “always” or “usually” liked to wear their contact lenses 76.7 percent of the time, and teens reported the same 85.2 percent of the time. After three months of contact lens wear, each group wore their contact lenses on average 11 hours per day.

Other study parameters examined included short-term safety, vision correction, fitting and training time, and a series of questionnaires completed by patients and their parents. The three-month study was conducted at three sites the Ohio State University College of Optometry, the New England College of Optometry and the University of Houston School of Optometry. The study was sponsored by Vistakon®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

About ACUVUE® ADVANCE® with HYDRACLEAR™ and ACUVUE® ADVANCE® FOR ASTIGMATISM

ACUVUE® ADVANCE® Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ and ACUVUE ADVANCE® for ASTIGMATISM are available by prescription and are indicated for daily wear vision correction. As with all contact lenses, eye problems, including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may also experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses should not be worn if the wearer has an eye infection or experiences eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If these conditions occur, the wearer should contact their eye care professional. Consult the patient information guide available from your doctor for complete information.

Johnson and Johnson
Johnson and Johnson