Also in the News…

New amblyopia treatment. NovaSight have announced the publication of a new study they claim support the superiority of their CureSight eye-tracking digital treatment for amblyopia over traditional patching methods. Link

Eye-rubbing exposure. Researchers have developed a new method for detecting eye-rubbing behaviors using smartwatch sensors combined with machine learning techniques. Their innovative method, published in Translational Vision Science & Technology, uses Apple Watch sensors and transformer neural networks to classify specific hand-face interactions. This proof-of-concept feasibility study, conducted by the Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, France, and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, suggests that wrist-worn devices could provide a practical solution for monitoring and preventing behaviors linked to ocular diseases, such as keratoconus, potentially preventing blindness in these cases. Link

Estrogen’s impact on glaucoma. A recent Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science study found that estrogen-containing hormone therapy (HT) may delay the onset of glaucoma in postmenopausal women. The retrospective analysis of Veterans Affairs medical records showed that women using HT experienced delayed glaucoma diagnosis by 2.20–4.51 years, depending on HT duration. The findings indicate that estrogen plays a protective role in glaucoma development, though the effect lessens with later menopause. The Emory University School of Medicine-based authors emphasize the need for further research to understand the mechanisms and evaluate the risks and benefits of HT in broader populations. Link

Gut feeling. A new population-based cohort study from the University of Bordeaux, France, has indicated that the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-type endotoxins produced by some gut microbiota are associated with thinner peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Looking at the eyes of 548 participants who had received at least one gradable RNFL measurement, the study findings indicate that LPS could be involved in the early processes of optic nerve neurodegeneration. The authors emphasize that this complex relation should be studied further, but highlight the potential role that human microbiota play in preserving our retinal health. Link

nAMD and psoriasis link. A nationwide cohort study has suggested that psoriasis – an autoimmune skin disease that causes inflamed patches of skin – could be linked to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The study, conducted by The Catholic University of Korea and Soongsil University, looked at the health records of over 2.2 million Korean patients with Type II diabetes, 20,853 of whom also had psoriasis, hypothesizing that both nAMD and psoriasis have a shared pathogenic mechanism. Their results, which recorded 105 nAMD cases in the psoriasis group, indicate that the skin disease is indeed an independent risk factor for diabetic patients developing nAMD. Link