Emerging technologies are now giving us unprecedented access to manipulate brain circuits, shedding new light on treatments for amblyopia. This research is identifying key circuit elements that control brain plasticity and highlight potential therapeutic targets to promote rewiring in the visual system during and beyond early life. Here, we explore how such recent advancements may guide future pharmacological, genetic, and behavioral approaches to treat amblyopia. We will discuss how animal research, which allows us to probe and tap into the underlying circuit and synaptic mechanisms, should best be used to guide therapeutic strategies. Uncovering cellular and molecular pathways that can be safely targeted to promote recovery may pave the way for effective new amblyopia treatments across the lifespan.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6044412 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0952523817000256 | DOI Listing |
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Amblyopia screening: the current state and opportunities for optimization.
Expert Rev Med Devices
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Division of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Introduction: Amblyopia, the leading cause of monocular childhood vision loss, affects millions and is projected to increase. Early detection and treatment are crucial for preventing vision impairment.
Areas Covered: This commentary reviews the current state and opportunities for improvement in amblyopia screening strategy and technology focused primarily within the United States.
Abnormal visual experience during development resulting from an imbalance in the activity of the two eyes can lead to permanent severe visual deficits, a pathology called amblyopia (lazy eye). While this condition is extremely difficult to treat in adults, current interventions can elicit significant amounts of visual recovery when performed in juveniles before the end of the critical period, even if the achievable results can be unsatisfactory due to the progressive decline in visual cortical plasticity. Similarly to human subjects, rodents becoming amblyopic due to early visual deprivation can display spontaneous functional recovery if the deprivation ends within the critical period time window.
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Article Synopsis
- The study emphasizes the importance of identifying when visual acuity (VA) in amblyopia patients has stabilized to inform treatment choices.
- The researchers simulated various VA measurements to assess the accuracy (false-positive and false-negative rates) of different rules for determining VA stability across multiple visits and treatments.
- Results showed significant variability in false-positive and false-negative rates depending on the measurement rules used, suggesting that clinicians should choose rules based on whether they want to minimize overlooking stabilization or misclassifying improvement.
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