UNASSIGNED: Children with visual impairment and additional disabilities (VIAD) have difficulty accessing the visual information related to their parents\' facial expressions and gestures. Similarly, it may be hard for parents to detect their children\'s subtle expressions. These challenges in accessibility may compromise emotional availability (EA) in parent-child interactions. The systematic use of the bodily-tactile modality for expressive and receptive communicative functions may function as a strategy to compensate for a child\'s lack of vision. This multiple-case study explored the effects of a bodily-tactile early intervention for three mothers and their one-year-old children with VIAD.
UNASSIGNED: Video data from baseline, intervention, and follow-up sessions were analyzed using a bodily-tactile coding procedure and EA Scales.
UNASSIGNED: During the intervention, all mothers began to use a more bodily-tactile modality in early play routines and in different communicative functions. They increased their use of anticipatory cues, noticing responses, and tactile signs. Moreover, the children were more emotionally available to their mothers during the intervention and follow-up compared to the baseline.
UNASSIGNED: The results indicated that, during a short intervention, mothers could adopt a systematic use of the bodily-tactile modality in interactions with their children with VIAD. The results also suggest that, when mothers increased flexibility in communication channels, it was positively linked to their children\'s EA.

Visual impairment due to ophthalmological diseases significantly affects functional activity in everyday life, since good eyesight is crucial in daily activities. Data from 837 respondents were studied, allowing for analysis of such medical and demographic indicators as age, gender, level of education, visual acuity arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. To measure functional status, the main activities in daily life (ADL) and instrumental activities in daily life (IADL) were evaluated using a modified version of the Katz scale and the IADL OARS scale. Statistical methods of Mantel-Hansel Chi-squared analysis were used to assess differences in the prevalence of functional blindness and visual deficit. The study showed that medical and demographic factors have a relatively smaller impact on vision deficiency compared to functional blindness, with age being a significant factor in both cases. Among the medical and demographic factors, the age of patients, as well as diabetes mellitus, significantly increase the development of visual deficiency and functional blindness. Functional blindness, in comparison with visual deficiency, causes more significant restrictions on activities in everyday life and instrumental activities in everyday life, and also causes dependence on help from others.
Нарушение зрения вследствие офтальмологических заболеваний существенно влияет на функциональную активность в повседневной жизни, поскольку хорошее зрение имеет в этом решающее значение. Изучали данные 837 респондентов, позволяющие сделать анализ таких медико-демографических показателей, как возраст, пол, уровень образования, острота зрения, артериальная гипертензия и сахарный диабет. Для измерения функционального статуса оценивали основные виды деятельности в повседневной жизни (ADL) и инструментальные виды деятельности в повседневной жизни (IADL) с использованием модифицированной версии шкалы Каца и шкалы IADL OARS. Для оценки различий в распространенности функциональной слепоты и зрительного дефицита использовали статистические методы анализа χ2 Мантеля–Ханселя. Исследование показало, что медицинские и демографические факторы оказывают относительно меньшее влияние на зрительный дефицит по сравнению с функциональной слепотой, при этом возраст является существенным фактором в обоих случаях. Сахарный диабет и гипертензия способствуют развитию функциональной слепоты и дефицита зрения, в то время как уровень образования не влияет на нарушение зрения. Среди медико-демографических факторов статистически достоверно повышает развитие зрительного дефицита и функциональной слепоты возраст пациентов, а также сахарный диабет. Функциональная слепота по сравнению со зрительным дефицитом вызывает более существенные ограничения по видам деятельности в повседневной жизни и инструментальной деятельности в повседневной жизни, а также вызывает зависимость в помощи от окружающих.

Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) stands as a distinctive maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder marked by painless, subacute central vision loss, primarily affecting young males. This review covers the possible relationship between LHON and multiple sclerosis (MS), covering genetic mutations, clinical presentations, imaging findings, and treatment options. LHON is associated with mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), notably m.11778G>A, m.3460G>A, and m.14484T>C, affecting complex I subunits. Beyond ocular manifestations, LHON can go beyond the eye into a multi-systemic disorder, showcasing extraocular abnormalities. Clinical presentations, varying in gender prevalence and outcomes, underscore the nature of mitochondrial optic neuropathies. Hypotheses exploring the connection between LHON and MS encompass mitochondrial DNA mutations triggering neurological diseases, immunologically mediated responses inducing demyelination, and the possibility of coincidental diseases. The research on mtDNA mutations among MS patients sheds light on potential associations with specific clinical subgroups, offering a unique perspective into the broader landscape of MS. Imaging findings, ranging from white matter alterations to cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, further emphasize shared pathological processes between LHON-MS and classical MS. This comprehensive review contributes to the understanding of the complex relationship between LHON and MS.

UNASSIGNED: We determined over-the-counter magnifier usage rates by patients who newly presented for vision rehabilitation services, and sought to elucidate whether patients\' ratings of over-the-counter magnifiers were associated with vision rehabilitation management strategies.
UNASSIGNED: Retrospective records reviews of 274 new vision rehabilitation patients seen between 2021-2023 were completed by three optometric providers at an ophthalmic academic center, college of optometry, and private practice.
UNASSIGNED: Over half (58%) of patients tried an over-the-counter magnifier. Older age was significantly associated with trying over-the-counter magnifiers (OR:1.04; p < 0.001). Patients who tried an over-the-counter magnifier had significantly greater odds of the provider recommending and/or dispensing a prescribed hand-held optical illuminated magnifier (P< =0.04) or recommending a CCTV electronic magnifier (p = 0.049). The majority indicated over-the-counter magnifiers were somewhat (46%) or not helpful (38%). There was a significantly greater odds of rating the over-the-counter magnifier as not helpful when the provider subsequently recommended a CCTV (OR:4.8; p = 0.01) or higher spectacle-based near add power (OR: 2.0; p = 0.02).
UNASSIGNED: Since most new patients were unsatisfied with over-the-counter magnifiers, it is encouraging that previous over-the-counter magnifier use often led to upgrades with hand-held optical illuminated magnifiers prescribed by vision rehabilitation providers, or patients were transitioned to CCTV electronic magnifiers or spectacle-based high add powers for near reading. These findings support that older adults who have previously experienced that over-the-counter magnifiers were either helpful or unhelpful are ideal candidates to receive vision rehabilitation by optometric providers who can transition them to a prescribed magnification device to better support their visual functioning needs for near reading.
Over-the-counter magnifiers were deemed helpful by only a small proportion of visually-impaired patients who were newly seeking vision rehabilitation services; but there other are viable options for them, since optometric vision rehabilitation providers prescribed alternative magnification devices, such as spectacle-based high near add powers or electronic visual aids for patients.Patients who have previously tried an over-the-counter magnifier were often recommended and received a different magnification device from vision rehabilitation providers who should be encouraged to evaluate other aids in-office to determine if they are more acceptable and/or better suited to meet patients’ needs.For patients and their families who have not yet pursued vision rehabilitation, our findings indicate that they should not give up on magnifiers and remain open to the possibility of using other types of magnification that could be helpful, such as a different optical magnifier, prescription for strong near reading glasses, electronic video magnification, or visual assistive apps for smartphones or tablets.

This study describes the eye health of newly arrived refugees attending a state-funded health service in Adelaide, South Australia, helping to address the paucity of data on the eye health of refugees. Patients attending the Refugee Health Service undergo comprehensive assessment by an on-site optometrist with accredited interpreters if they have eye symptoms, personal or family history of eye disease, or visual impairment (using World Health Organization definitions). A retrospective audit of this service was performed to obtain patient demographics, presenting best-corrected distance visual acuity (better-seeing eye), diagnoses, and management. In 2017-2018, 494 of the 1400 refugees attending the service underwent an optometry assessment (age range 1-86 years, mean age 33.1 ± 18.6 years, 53% female). Regions of origin included the Middle East (25%), Bhutan (24%), Afghanistan (22%), Myanmar (15%), and Africa (14%). Of the 124 cases of visual impairment, 78% resolved with corrective lenses and 11% were due to cataracts. Ophthalmology follow-up was required for 56 (11%) patients, mostly for cataracts (22 patients). Newly arrived refugees have high rates of visual impairment from refractive error and cataracts. Integration of optometry and state-based refugee health services may improve the timely detection and treatment of these conditions.

BACKGROUND: The presence of sensory impairment among older age cohorts exerts a significant impact on both individuals and society generally. Although the impact of dietary patterns on health is vital across all stages of life, there still a paucity of comprehensive research on the association between dietary variety and sensory impairments.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential relationship between dietary diversity and the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment or dual sensory impairments (visual and hearing impairment) among the oldest old population.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study relied on data obtained from the 2018 survey conducted by the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Subjects aged 80 and older with complete vision and hearing data were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between dietary components and visual and hearing impairment while controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic demographic factors, living habits, other food habits, and general health status.
RESULTS: The study included 10,093 participants, with an average age of 92.29 ± 7.75 years. Vision and hearing function were assessed based on the ability to distinguish the direction of the break in the circle and the requirement for hearing aids, respectively. Upon controlling for confounding variables, individuals with a greater Dietary Diversity Score (DDS, the number of food groups, range: 1-11) had a reduced likelihood of experiencing visual impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.944, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.915-0.974) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.930, 95% CI, 0.905-0.955). In comparison to the low dietary variety group (insufficient dietary diversity, DDS < 4), the high dietary diversity group (sufficient dietary diversity, DDS ≥ 4) exhibited a decreased risk of visual impairment (OR = 0.820, 95% CI, 0.713-0.944) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.751, 95% CI, 0.667-0.846). However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between dietary diversity and the presence of only hearing impairment (OR = 0.924, 95% CI, 0.815-1.047) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The synthesis of research findings suggests that following diverse dietary patterns and healthy nutritional practices may be an effective and affordable way to prevent age-related decline in visual impairment and dual sensory impairment.

BACKGROUND: Visual impairment (VI) is associated with dementia and other neuropsychiatric outcomes, but previous studies have not considered genetic sources of confounding or effect modification.
METHODS: We analysed data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing nationally representative survey of older US adults, a subset of whom underwent genetic testing from 2006 to 2012 (n = 13 465). Using discrete time proportional hazards models and generalised estimating equations, we measured the association between VI and dementia, depression and hallucinations adjusting for demographics and comorbidities, ancestry-specific principal components and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for Alzheimer\'s disease, major depressive disorder or schizophrenia. Effect modification was assessed using VI-PRS interaction terms and stratified analyses.
RESULTS: VI was associated with dementia, depression and hallucinations after adjusting polygenic risk and other confounders. There was no VI-PRS interaction for dementia or depression. However, the association between VI and hallucinations varied by genetic risk of schizophrenia. Within the bottom four quintiles of schizophrenia PRS, VI was not associated with hallucinations among White (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 0.87-1.55) or Black participants (OR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.49-1.89). In contrast, VI was strongly associated with hallucinations among White (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.17-3.71) and Black (OR 10.63, 95% CI: 1.74-65.03) participants in the top quintile of schizophrenia PRS.
CONCLUSIONS: The association between VI and neuropsychiatric outcomes is not explained by shared genetic risk factors, and there is a significant interaction between VI and polygenic risk of hallucinations in older adults.

Nitrate and nitrite have emerged as increasingly common environmental pollutants, posing significant risks to various forms of life within ecosystems. To understand their impact on the visual system of zebrafish, adult zebrafish were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of nitrate (10 mg/L) and nitrite (1 mg/L) for 7 days. Visual behaviors were examined using optomotor and avoidance response. The eyeballs of the zebrafish were collected for H&E staining, IHC, and qPCR. Exposure decreased visual behavior and the thickness of most retinal layers. Exposure decreased expression of pax6a, pax6b, gpx1a, and bcl2a. Exposure increased expression of esr1, esr1a, esr2b, cyp19a1b, sod1a, nos2a, casps3, and tp53, and increased retinal brain aromatase expression by IHC. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that nitrate and nitrite exposure negatively impacted the visual system of adult zebrafish, highlighting the potential hazards of these environmental pollutants on aquatic organisms.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the associations of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) with visual impairment (VI) prior to surgical removal of cataracts across two large health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region.
METHODS: Multi-institutional cross-sectional data study.
METHODS: Patients aged 65 and older who underwent cataract surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) and Kaiser Permanente (KP) between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019.
METHODS: Covariates included patient age, sex, smoking status, surgery laterality, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and ocular comorbidities. Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the association of race/ethnicity and area deprivation index (ADI) with visual acuity.
METHODS: Visual acuity prior to cataract surgery was assessed using Log of Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR). Race/ethnicity and ADI were the main exposures of interest.
RESULTS: At JHH, 11,509 patients (17,731 eyes) were included, while KP had 7,143 patients (10,542 eyes). After adjusting for covariates, Black (β, 0.49), Asian (β, 0.83), and Hispanic patients (β, 0.95) were more likely to have worse visual acuity secondary to cataracts at JHH (P < 0.001 for all) compared to White patients. Similarly, at KP, Black (β, 0.56), Asian (β, 0.70), and Hispanic patients (β, 0.89) were more likely to have worse visual acuity (P < 0.001 for all) compared to White patients. Compared to those living in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods (Quartile [Q]1 ADI) at JHH, higher ADI quartiles (more deprived) were more likely to have worse visual acuity (β, 0.27; P = 0.001 for Q2, β, 0.40; P = 0.001 for Q3, β, 0.95; P < 0.001 for Q4). There was no significant association found between ADI and VI secondary to cataracts at KP.
CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults, non-White race/ethnicity was independently associated with VI secondary to cataracts in two large health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region, after adjustment for ADI. Area deprivation was also associated with VI but only in the JHH system. Our study suggests that non-White patients and those with lower SES are at greater risk of VI secondary to cataracts possibly due to social, structural and institutional barriers.

Eye movements while reading with screen magnification (which requires manual scrolling to center the magnified portion of the screen within the viewport) pose interpretation challenges. Standard representations in terms of alternating fixations and saccades don\'t apply to this case. This is because, during scrolling, eyes often track a moving text element, generating a movement akin to smooth pursuit. We propose a new representation that uses information from the mouse (which the reader uses to move the center of magnification) to undo the effect of magnification and scrolling. After this \"compensation\" operation, gaze tracks can again be described as alternating fixations and saccades. We present an analysis of gaze tracks obtained by applying this transformation on an existing dataset, recorded from low vision readers using two modalities of screen magnification. This analysis highlights similarities and differences in terms of dynamic properties of compensated gaze tracks vis-à-vis gaze during regular reading.