Zebrafish Deficiency Impairs Retinal Patterning and Oculomotor Function.

Down syndrome cell adhesion molecules ( and ) are essential regulators of neural circuit assembly, but their roles in vertebrate neural circuit function are still mostly unexplored. We investigated the functional consequences of deficiency in the larval zebrafish (sexually undifferentiated) oculomotor system, where behavior, circuit function, and neuronal activity can be precisely quantified. Genetic perturbation of resulted in deficits in retinal patterning and light adaptation, consistent with its known roles in mammals.

STAT3-mediated activation of is involved in down-regulation of TIMP3 and neovascularization in the ischemic retina.

Retinal neovascularization (RNV) is a sight threatening complication of ischemic retinopathies with limited therapeutic options. The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been shown to play a crucial role in promoting RNV. However, manipulating of STAT3 activity can cause significant adverse side effects due to its neurotrophic properties.

Systemic effects of ophthalmic cyclopentolate on body weight in neonatal mice.

Background: Cyclopentolate is standardly used in ophthalmologic examinations of neonates to facilitate screening for retinopathy of prematurity. Reports of systemic effects have raised concerns of an increased risk of feeding intolerance after the examinations.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate systemic concentrations of cyclopentolate after ophthalmic administration, as well as assess changes in weight as an indirect measure of alteration in feeding.

Eye position compensation improves estimates of response magnitude and receptive field geometry in alert monkeys.

Studies of visual function in behaving subjects require that stimuli be positioned reliably on the retina in the presence of eye movements. Fixational eye movements scatter stimuli about the retina, inflating estimates of receptive field dimensions, reducing estimates of peak responses, and blurring maps of receptive field subregions. Scleral search coils are frequently used to measure eye position, but their utility for correcting the effects of fixational eye movements on receptive field maps has been questioned.

Utility of molecular testing for related retinal dystrophies.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe our experience with the clinical effects of molecular genetic testing for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and related retinal dystrophies.

Methods: Chart review of 303 consecutive patients with retinal dystrophies was done when blood was sent for molecular genetic testing between 1993 and 2001. Phenotype information was retrieved for patients with identified mutations.