Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and education.

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is characterized by severe visual impairment with onset around age 4-8 years, and a developmental course that includes blindness, epilepsy, speech problems, dementia, motor coordination problems, and emotional reactions. There is presently no cure and the disease leads to premature death. There have been few studies of non-medical intervention for individuals with JNCL, probably because of the negative prognosis.

Braille use among Norwegian children from 1967 to 2007: trends in the underlying causes.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to estimate the occurrence, diagnoses and time trends among Norwegian children that have received education in braille from 1967 to 2007.

Methods: We used a retrospective population-based study design. The health care system is free for all inhabitants in Norway.

Binocular contrast inhibition in subjects with age-related macular degeneration.

In subjects with normal vision, binocular contrast sensitivity is generally higher than monocular sensitivity, indicating summation of contrast in the two eyes. We have compared monocular and binocular contrast sensitivity and acuity for a group of 13 subjects with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Relative to a normal control group, many of the AMD subjects showed reduced binocular contrast summation, and binocular inhibition was found for eight subjects for a narrow or an extended frequency band.