Functional Near-Infrared Spectrometry as a Useful Diagnostic Tool for Understanding the Visual System: A Review.

This comprehensive review explores the role of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in advancing our understanding of the visual system. Beginning with an introduction to fNIRS, we delve into its historical development, highlighting how this technology has evolved over time. The core of the review critically examines the advantages and disadvantages of fNIRS, offering a balanced view of its capabilities and limitations in research and clinical settings.

Disrupted Neural Regeneration in Dry Eye Secondary to Ankylosing Spondylitis-With a Theoretical Link between Piezo2 Channelopathy and Gateway Reflex, WDR Neurons, and Flare-Ups.

This study aimed at analyzing the corneal neural regeneration in ankylosing spondylitis patients using in vivo corneal confocal microscopy in correlation with Langerhans cell density, morphology, and dry eye parameters. Approximately 24 ankylosing spondylitis subjects and 35 age- and gender-matched control subjects were enrolled. Data analysis showed that all corneal nerve-fiber descriptives were lower in the ankylosing spondylitis group, implicating disrupted neural regeneration.

Neural Regeneration in Dry Eye Secondary to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Is Also Disrupted like in Rheumatoid Arthritis, but in a Progressive Fashion.

Our objective in this study was to analyze the aberrant neural regeneration activity in the cornea by means of in vivo confocal microscopy in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with concurrent dry eye disease. We examined 29 systemic lupus erythematosus patients and 29 age-matched healthy control subjects. Corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD, the number of fibers/mm) and peripheral Langerhans cell morphology were lower ( < 0.

Evidence of Disruption in Neural Regeneration in Dry Eye Secondary to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The purpose of our study was to analyze abnormal neural regeneration activity in the cornea through means of confocal microscopy in rheumatoid arthritis patients with concomitant dry eye disease. We examined 40 rheumatoid arthritis patients with variable severity and 44 volunteer age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. We found that all examined parameters were significantly lower ( < 0.

Seven-year outcomes following intensive anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is currently the most effective therapy of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The aim of this study was to assess long-term benefits of intensive aflibercept and ranibizumab anti-VEGF therapy in patients with exudative AMD.

Methods: Two clinical trial sites recruited their original subjects for a re-evaluation 7 years after the baseline visit of the phase-3 Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Trap-Eye: Investigation of Efficacy and Safety in Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (VIEW 2) trial.

Atrophy of retinal vessels in neovascular age-related macular degeneration following long-term treatment with 20 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the changes in retinal vascular density in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after long-term anti-VEGF treatment using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), and to compare these changes with the vascular density in AMD treated for one year and healthy eyes.

Methods: In our cross-sectional study OCT-A was performed on 60 eyes of 60 patients. Group AMD 20 × consisted of patients receiving long-term (minimum 20 injections) aflibercept therapy (n = 17), and Group AMD one year consisted of patients treated for one year with a treat & extend protocol (n = 25).

Examination of corneal microstructure in the quiescent phase of vernal keratoconjunctivitis using in vivo confocal microscopy.

Introduction: This study investigated the morphological characteristics of corneal microstructure in the quiescent phase of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).

Methods: Twenty patients with quiescent VKC and 25 healthy subjects were included. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) of the central cornea was performed.

Is the Sex Difference a Clue to the Pathomechanism of Dry Eye Disease? Watch out for the NGF-TrkA-Piezo2 Signaling Axis and the Piezo2 Channelopathy.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial disorder with recognized pathology, but not entirely known pathomechanism. It is suggested to represent a continuum with neuropathic corneal pain with the paradox that DED is a pain-free disease in most cases, although it is regarded as a pain condition. The current paper puts into perspective that one gateway from physiology to pathophysiology could be a Piezo2 channelopathy, opening the pathway to a potentially quad-phasic non-contact injury mechanism on a multifactorial basis and with a heterogeneous clinical picture.

Association between retinal vessel density and postoperative time after primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

The study aimed at a quantitative evaluation of macular vasculature after primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in correlation with the elapsed postoperative time. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) was performed in 66 eyes of 33 patients in a retrospective case-control study: superficial and deep retinal vessel density (VD) of the whole image, fovea, parafovea, non-flow area, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) were measured. Data of eyes with RRD were compared to the healthy fellow eyes in 3 groups according to the elapsed time after surgery: RD1: 6-12 months (n = 10), RD2: 1-2 years (n = 10), and RD3: 2-10 years (n = 13).

Immunological biomarkers of the vitreous responsible for proliferative alteration in the different forms of retinal detachment.

Background: The purpose of the study was to explore the immunological components that are responsible for the proliferative alterations in the different forms of retinal detachment (RD).

Methods: Vitreous fluids were collected during 23G pars plana vitrectomy from 54 eyes of 54 patients with different RD types, such as rhegmatogenous RD (RRD) without proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (n = 30), PVR (n = 16) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with tractional RD (n = 8). Vitreous fluids were obtained from 19 eyes with epiretinal membrane (ERM), which were used as control samples.

Comparison of hydrophilic ophthalmic media on silicone oil emulsification.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how the biological media which are in contact with silicone oil play a role in the silicone emulsification process. Commercially available Oxane 1300 silicone oil and potential hydrophilic phases of the emulsions in the eye (porcine aqueous humor, porcine vitreous and balanced salt solution) were investigated separately and in a mixture or emulsions by means of surface tension, rheological, zeta potential measurements and microscopic investigation. The surface tension of biological media (vitreous and aqueous humor) was significantly lower than that of non-biological media, especially in the case of aqueous humor, which indicates a remarkable emulsification tendency with these phases.

Position of macula lutea and presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy affect vitreous cytokine expression in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Our purpose was to evaluate the concentrations of vitreous cytokines in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). We hypothesized that patients with macula on RRD have lower levels of cytokines compared to patients with macula off RRD and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Vitreous fluids were collected during 23G pars plana vitrectomy from 58 eyes of 58 patients.

Vascular density in age-related macular degeneration after one year of antiVEGF treatment with treat-and-extend and fixed regimens.

Treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) with VEGF can be performed with several posologies. The purpose of our cross-sectional study was to analyze retinal vessel density by quantitative OCT-angiography (OCT-A) and to compare treat-and-extend (T&E) and fixed treatment protocols to a control group with dry AMD. Altogether 48 patients were enrolled: 13 eyes with T&E protocol ranibizumab treatment (group A) and 17 eyes with fixed regimen aflibercept therapy (group B), the control group comprised 18 eyes with dry AMD (group C).

Vitrectorhexis in penetrating eye injuries in adults.

Introduction: Vitrectorhexis is an alternative for manual continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis originally developed for paediatric cataract surgery. The aim of our study was the evaluation of the technique in adult patients with penetrating ocular injury and traumatic cataracts.

Methods: Eight eyes of 8 patients (23-41 years, all males) had penetrating mechanical corneal trauma.

Subjective health expectations of patients with age-related macular degeneration treated with antiVEGF drugs.

Background: Subjective expectations regarding future health may influence patients' judgement of current health and treatment effects, as well as adherence to therapies in chronic diseases. We aimed to explore subjective expectations on longevity and future health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with antiVEGF injections and analyse the influencing factors.

Methods: Consecutive AMD patients in two ophthalmology centres were included.

Diabetes-induced oxidative stress in the vitreous humor.

Purpose: Diabetes is accompanied by fundamental rearrangements in redox homeostasis. Hyperglycemia triggers the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species which contributes to tissue damage in various target organs. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a common manifestation of diabetic complications but information on the possible role of reactive intermediates in this condition with special regard to the involvement of the vitreous in PDR-associated redox alterations is scarce.

In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Imaging of the Cornea After Femtosecond and Excimer Laser-assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty.

Purpose: To examine the microstructure of the cornea after excimer and femtosecond laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (ELAK and FLAK) in eyes with Fuchs' dystrophy and keratoconus.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients were divided into four groups according to corneal disease and surgical technique: Fuchs' dystrophy and ELAK (n = 9; mean age: 70.4 ± 10.

Dry eye and corneal langerhans cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Purpose. Investigation of dry eye and corneal Langerhans cells (LCs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods.

Retinal and choroidal thickness measurements using spectral domain optical coherence tomography in anterior and intermediate uveitis.

Background: Macular edema is a common cause of visual loss at uveitic patients. The aim of our study was to investigate retinal and choroidal thickness at the macula in anterior (AU) and intermediate (IMU) uveitis and in healthy individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Methods: Case-control study of 21 patients with AU and 23 patients with IMU and 34 age-matched healthy controls was performed with Spectralis SD-OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany).

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography in patients after successful management of postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery by pars plana vitrectomy.

Background: Acute severe postoperative endophthalmitis may lead to severe vision loss. The aim of this study was the analysis of macular microstructure imaged by spectral domain optical coherence tomography in patients after pars plana vitrectomy due to postcataract endophthalmitis.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 17 patients who had cataract surgery in both eyes and underwent unilateral pars plana vitrectomy due to postcataract endophthalmitis.

Confocal microscopy of epithelial and langerhans cells of the cornea in patients using travoprost drops containing two different preservatives.

The recently developed confocal cornea microscopy offers the opportunity to examine pathologies of the cornea and to gain insight into the activity of innate immunity. We aimed to investigate the corneal epithelial and Langerhans cell (LC) densities along with dry eye parameters in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) subjects, treated with either of two commercially available travoprost 0.004 % topical medications containing different preservatives.

Corneal Langerhans cell and dry eye examinations in ankylosing spondylitis.

APCs of the ocular surface, including corneal Langerhans cells (LCs), offer the opportunity to gain insight into the activity of innate immunity. We examined corneal LCs and dry eye parameters in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Twenty-four AS patients with varying degrees of disease activity and 24 healthy participants were enrolled.

In vivo confocal microscopic evaluation of corneal Langerhans cell density, and distribution and evaluation of dry eye in rheumatoid arthritis.

Corneal Langerhans cells (LCs) offer the opportunity to gain insight into the activity of the innate immunity. We examined the density and the distribution of LCs and compared the results with dry-eye parameters in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fifty-two RA patients with various degrees of disease activity and 24 healthy subjects were enrolled.

Positioning of electronic subretinal implants in blind retinitis pigmentosa patients through multimodal assessment of retinal structures.

Purpose: To optimize methods for positioning subretinal visual implants, customizing their cable length, guiding them to the predetermined retinal position, and evaluating their performance.

Methods: Ten eyes of 10 patients (6 male, 4 female, mean age 46.4 years) were investigated before implantation of a subretinal visual implant.