Chronic co-administration of nicotine and methamphetamine causes differential expression of immediate early genes in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens of rats.

Nicotine and methamphetamine (METH) cause addiction by triggering neuroplastic changes in brain reward pathways though they each engage distinct molecular targets (nicotine receptors and dopamine transporters respectively). Addiction to both drugs is very prevalent, with the vast majority of METH users also being smokers of cigarettes. This co-morbid occurrence thus raised questions about potential synergistic rewarding effects of the drugs.

Pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pneumatic trabeculoplasty in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

Purpose: Following laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), intraocular pressure (IOP) is measurably lower in a significant number of cases. It has been proposed that the decrease in IOP may be a real event. Prior trials have evaluated pneumatic trabeculoplasty (PNT) in combination with concomitant glaucoma medications.

Hydrogel intracorneal lenses in aphakic eyes.

Background: The theoretical benefits of synthetic keratophakia over conventional corneal lamellar procedures are the elimination of donor concerns and superior refractive predictability. Additionally, synthetic material can be inspected for optical quality and power, and it can be sterilized. Furthermore, visual recovery should be more rapid since epithelium is not removed from the central part of the cornea and the need for keratocyte repopulation is eliminated.

Refractive surgery.

Myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) are almost equally distributed in the general population but myopia has received the most surgical attention, probably because it produces the greater disability. It also seems more amenable to surgical correction as the widespread successful employment of radial keratotomy bares out. On the other hand, attempts at surgically correcting hyperopia such as hexagonal keratotomy; thermokeratoplasty; hyperopic lamellar keratotomy, and keratophakia have had a less happy experience.