Refractive state and visual acuity of children with extremely low birth weight at 3 years old in Japan.

Purpose: To investigate the refractive status and visual acuity of 3-year-old children with extremely low birth weight (ELBW).

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: We examined 161 children born between January 2009 and December 2014.

Differential effects of black currant anthocyanins on diffuser- or negative lens-induced ocular elongation in chicks.

Purpose: To compare the inhibitory effects of 4 different types of black currant anthocyanins (BCAs) on ocular elongation in 2 different chick myopia models.

Methods: In the first model, diffusers were used to induce form vision deprivation. In the second model, negative (-8D) spherical lenses were used to create a defocused retinal image.

Effect of black-currant extract on negative lens-induced ocular growth in chicks.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of orally administered black-currant (BC) extract on the enlargement of globe component dimensions induced in chicks by wearing negative lenses.

Methods: Negative lenses (-8 D) were worn on the right eyes by 8-day-old chicks, and their fellow eyes acted as controls. BC extract and distilled water (vehicle control) were orally administered once a day for 3 days.

Neurovisual abnormalities preceding the retinopathy in patients with long-term type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Changes in the retina caused by diabetes may lead to visual impairment in dim light, even with good visual acuity and visual fields. To evaluate the visual abnormalities preceding the retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), we applied electrophysiological methods.

Methods: The visual evoked responses were recorded with sinusoidally modulated vertical gratings at 10 spatial frequencies presented sequentially on a high-resolution monitor in patients with type 1 DM and in normal volunteers.

Objective measurement of contrast sensitivity function using contrast sweep visual evoked responses.

Aim/background: The contrast sensitivity function (CSF) measurement provides information that is not accessible by standard visual acuity determinations. The contrast sweep pattern reversal visual evoked responses (CSVER) technique was used to objectively measure the CSF in clinical practice.

Methods: The contrast thresholds were measured at five spatial frequencies in 10 normal subjects.

Visual Ability Score -- a new method to analyze ability in visually impaired children.

Purpose: We analyzed the correlation between the Preferential Looking (PL) acuities and the Visual Ability Scores (VAS) of 600 patients (many with severe retinopathy of prematurity) to determine their ability to perform various activities within the daily environment.

Methods: Visual acuity was measured by PL. Sixteen visual activities within the environment were analyzed.

Comparison of preferential looking acuity and pattern reversal visual evoked response acuity in pediatric patients.

Background: We compared the visual acuities obtained with preferential looking (PL), the most widely used method of pediatric vision assessment, with those obtained with the spatial frequency sweep pattern-reversal visual evoked response (SPVER).

Methods: Eighty patients (ages 1.5 months to 12 years) with various ocular pathologies participated in this study.

Comparison of Snellen acuity and objective assessment using the spatial frequency sweep PVER.

Background: We compared the vision objectively assessed by spatial frequency sweep pattern-reversal visual-evoked response (SPVER) with the Snellen acuity in patients.

Methods: SPVER acuity and Snellen acuity were measured in 100 patients with various ocular pathologies, including macular diseases, diffuse retinal degeneration, optic nerve diseases, glaucoma, and high myopia. For SPVER, 10 sinusoidally modulated vertical gratings were presented as stimuli.

Five years' experience with the Grating disc. A simplified method of evaluating vision in young children.

The Grating Disc (GD) is a simplified visual test designed for children 18 months to 4 approximately 5 years. Two hundred pediatric patients (103 males, 97 females; aged 5 months to > 6 years) participated in this study to determined how the GD visual acuity (VA) correlates with the Preferential Looking (PL) VA. Forty-six percent of the patients had varying degrees of retinopathy of prematurity.

Spatial tuning loss of pattern reversal visual evoked response in optic nerve disease.

We compared the pattern reversal visual evoked response (PVER) amplitude-check size functions from 25 eyes (25 normal subjects; visual acuities > or = 20/20) with those from 32 eyes (22 patients; visual acuities 20/15 to 20/50; mean, 20/25.5) with mild optic nerve disease to determine if spatial tuning loss of the PVER occurs in the presence of optic nerve dysfunction. The steady-state PVER was recorded with five check sizes (range, 160 to 10 minutes of arc).

Spatial frequency sweep pattern reversal VER acuity vs Snellen visual acuity: effect of optical defocus.

The effect of artificially induced image defocusing on visual acuities (VAs) measured by spatial frequency sweep pattern reversal visual evoked response (SPVER) and Snellen measurement was studied in six normal subjects. The steady-state SPVER was recorded using vertical gratings of 10 different spatial frequencies ranging from 0.52 to 30.

Tonometry in pediatric patients: a comparative study among Tono-pen, Perkins, and Schiötz tonometers.

Measuring the intraocular pressure (IOP) in children can be difficult. We compared the accuracy of IOP measurements in pediatric patients using three tonometers: Perkins, Schiötz, and Tono-pen. Seventy-seven children (132 eyes; average age, 1 year, 7 months; range, 1 month to 60 months), mainly afflicted with retinopathy of prematurity (107 eyes), were evaluated.

Correlating preferential looking visual acuity and visual behavior in severely visually handicapped children.

We developed a series of questions that reflects the functional abilities of severely visually handicapped children. The study population comprised 100 patients aged 30 to 60 months (mean 43.23), mostly afflicted with retinopathy of prematurity.

Contrast visual acuities in cataract patients. III. Changes of contrast acuity profiles in normal and pathological eyes.

We compared pre- and postoperative visual acuities in 45 cataract patients without ocular pathology except lens opacity (group 1) and 20 patients with ocular pathologies and lens opacity (group 2) using Variable Contrast Visual Acuity Charts. Charts 1 and 4 have 90% contrast; chart 4 has white optotypes on a black background (reverse polarity), charts 2 and 3 have 15% and 2.5% contrast, respectively.

Pattern-reversal visual-evoked response in bull's eye maculopathy associated with Stargardt's disease.

Using steady-state pattern-reversal visual-evoked response (PVER), we studied the macular function in patients with bull's eye maculopathy. The results were correlated with fluorescein angiography. Study patients with an established (25 eyes of 14 patients) and a suspected (8 eyes of 4 patients) diagnosis of Stargardt's disease with bull's eye maculopathy were divided into group G (good vision group: 15 eyes with visual acuity of 20/40 or better) and group P (poor vision group: 18 eyes with visual acuity of 20/50 or worse).

Correlation of electroretinographic and fluorescein angiographic findings in unilateral central retinal vein obstruction.

Background: In central retinal vein obstruction (CRVO), electroretinogram (ERG) abnormalities and extensive retinal capillary dropout (CD) in the fluorescein angiogram (FA) are good indicators of retinal ischemia. We retrospectively studied patients with unilateral CRVO and compared the ERG and FA results.

Methods: Single white flash ERG, photopic ERG, scotopic ERG and flicker ERG were recorded in 30 cases of unilateral CRVO.

Pattern reversal visual evoked response and Snellen visual acuity.

Because the pattern-reversal visual evoked response (PVER) reflects the central retinal function, PVER results generally agree with those of psychophysical tests. The visual acuities (VAs) calculated from PVER recordings and Snellen acuity (SA) measurements were compared in 500 eyes (261 patients; ages 8 to 88 years; mean, 44.5 years).

Electroretinogram b/a wave ratio improvement in central retinal vein obstruction.

The electroretinogram (ERG), especially the b/a wave ratio, is considered a good indicator of retinal ischaemia in central retinal vein obstruction (CRVO). Seven CRVO patients who showed b/a wave ratio improvement from < 1.0 [negative type (-) ERG] to > or = 1.

Prognostic value of initial electroretinogram in central retinal vein obstruction.

We retrospectively studied the correlation between the initial electroretinogram (ERG) recordings and the final visual acuities (VA) of 47 patients with central retinal vein obstruction (CRVO) after follow-up of more than 1 year. The a- and b-wave amplitudes and the b/a ratio with white flash were significantly larger in patients with good vision (VA > 20/200) than in those with poor vision (VA < or = 20/200). The b/a ratio and b-wave amplitude with white flash showed sensitivity and specificity of more than 78% for visual prognosis.

Snellen visual acuity versus pattern reversal visual-evoked response acuity in clinical applications.

We compared the best-corrected Snellen acuity (SA) and the pattern reversal visual-evoked response (PVER) acuity in normal subjects and patients. Forty-two eyes of 42 normal subjects were controls; 457 eyes of 329 patients comprised the patient group. A steady-state stimulus with five check sizes ranging from 160 to 10 min in 1.

Stargardt's disease/fundus flavimaculatus: psychophysical and electrophysiologic results.

Retinal functions were analyzed psychophysically and electrophysiologically in 73 patients (146 eyes) with Stargardt's disease/fundus flavimaculatus. Patients were classified into types 1, 2, 3, and 4; patients with type 3 were subdivided into 3E and 3L (early and late onset of initial symptoms). Most had visual acuity (VA) of 20/200 or greater at initial testing.

Effects of light scatter, defocusing, mean luminosity, contrast, and central scotoma on the PVER amplitude-check size function curve.

We analyzed the effects of various stimulus parameters, ie, light scatter, defocusing, mean luminosity, contrast, and central scotoma, on the normal pattern reversal visual evoked response (PVER), amplitude-check size function curve in six normal subjects. The steady-state PVER was recorded with five check sizes ranging from 160 to 10 min in 1-octave increments. The PVER amplitude, especially with the smaller check sizes, was markedly decreased by light scatter induced by acrylic sheets.

Glaucoma as a cause of poor vision in severe retinopathy of prematurity.

Despite surgical reattachment of the retina in infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), visual acuity may decline. We performed gonioscopy and applanation tonometry on 26 eyes of 17 infants with severe ROP who were randomly selected and followed prospectively for 2 years. Of these 26 eyes, one eye of one patient had only peripheral retinocryopexy for threshold stage III disease and had an attached retina before enrollment into the study.