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Purpose Methods Results Conclusions To investigate axial elongation (AE) and changes in relative peripheral refraction (RPR) in anisomyopic children undergoing orthokeratology (ortho‐k).Bilateral anisomyopic children, 7–12 years of age, were treated with ortho‐k. Axial length (AL) and RPR, from 30° nasal (N30°) to 30° temporal (T30°), were measured at baseline and every 6 months over the study period. AE, changes in RPR and changes in the interocular AL difference were determined over time.Twenty‐six of the 33 subjects completed the 2‐year study. The AE of the higher myopic (HM) eyes (at least 1.50 D more myopia than the other eye) (0.26 ± 0.29 mm) was significantly smaller than for the less myopic (LM) eyes (0.50 ± 0.27 mm; p = 0.003), leading to a reduction in the interocular difference in AL (p = 0.001). Baseline RPR measurements in the HM eyes were relatively more hyperopic at T30°, N20° and N30° (p ≤ 0.02) and greater myopic shifts were observed at T20° (p < 0.001), T30° (p < 0.001), N20° (p = 0.02) and N30° (p = 0.01) after lens wear. After 2 years of ortho‐k lens wear, temporal–nasal asymmetry increased significantly, being more myopic at the temporal locations in both eyes (p < 0.001), while AE was associated with the change in RPR at N20° (β = 0.134, p = 0.01). The interocular difference in AE was also positively associated with the interocular difference in RPR change at N30° (β = 0.111, p = 0.02).Ortho‐k slowed AE in bilateral anisomyopia, with slower growth in the HM eyes leading to a reduction in interocular AL differences. After ortho‐k, RPR changed from hyperopia to myopia, with greater changes induced in the HM eyes, and slower AE was associated with a more myopic shift in RPR, especially in the nasal field of both eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is recognized as a promising therapeutic target for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Crocetin is an aglycone of crocin naturally occurring in saffron and has been found to alleviate brain injury diseases. However, whether crocetin affects autophagy after TBI remains unknown. Therefore, we explore crocetin roles in autophagy after TBI. We used a weight-dropped model to induce TBI in C57BL/6J mice. Neurological severity scoring (NSS) and grip tests were used to evaluate the neurological level of injury. Brain edema, neuronal apoptosis, neuroinflammation and autophagy were detected by measurements of brain water content, TUNEL staining, ELISA kits and western blotting. Crocetin ameliorated neurological dysfunctions and brain edema after TBI. Crocetin reduced neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammation and enhanced autophagy after TBI. Crocetin alleviates TBI by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammation and activating autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A multi‐level model was used to analyse factors, including environmental factors, affecting the controlling effect of orthokeratology on myopia progression. Methods: A 2‐year prospective study was conducted in the West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Age, sex, height, baseline spherical equivalent refraction, choroidal thickness, axial length and other biometric ocular parameters were collected. Additionally, data on the following environmental factors were obtained: near‐work distance and time, sleep time and time spent outdoors. After the baseline measurements, participants were followed up every 3 months for 2 years of lens wear. The primary outcome measure was axial length elongation over 2 years of orthokeratology. All variables were included in a univariate, three‐level analysis model with inclusion in the final multivariate multi‐level model if statistically significant. Results: Thirty‐three participants (average age 9.73 ± 1.55 years) were included in this study. During the 2‐year period of lens wearing, binocular changes in axial length increased significantly from the ninth month and continued until the end of the follow‐up. Changes in axial length after 2 years of lens wearing were 0.44 ± 0.30 mm and 0.37 ± 0.26 mm in the right and left eyes, respectively (both p < 0.001). Based on the 2‐year multi‐level model, age, sex, baseline spherical equivalent refraction, flatter keratometry meridian and near‐work time influence the effect of orthokeratology. Conclusions: This is the first study to use a multi‐level model to analyse factors, including environmental factors, that affect myopia control using orthokeratology. These results showed that younger age, being female, having lower myopia at baseline, a steeper flattest keratometry meridian and no more than 5 h of near work per day were associated with better myopia control effect using orthokeratology over a 2‐year treatment period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have demonstrated the diagnostic efficiency of antibody testing in COVID-19 infection. There is limited data on the IgM/IgG changes in asymptomatic and discharged patients with reoccurring positive nucleic acid test (RPNAT). This study aims to investigate these IgM/IgG changes. There were 111 patients with positive nucleic acid test (NAT) and 40 suspected patients enrolled in the study. The serum SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM/IgG antibody levels were retrospectively analysed with the disease progress in asymptomatic and RPNAT patients. The best overall performance was found by combining the IgM, IgG, and CT; 95.1% sensitivity and 75% specificity. This was tested in 111 RT-PCR positive cases. The median IgM and IgG levels were lower in the asymptomatic group compared to the symptomatic group (p <.01). Among 15 RPNAT cases, the IgM levels of the RPNAT group at the time of discharge (IgM2.79, IQR: 0.95–5.37) and retest (IgM 2.35, IQR: 0.88–8.65) were significantly higher than those of the non-reoccurring positive nucleic acid test group (Non-RPNAT) (IgM on discharge: 0.59, IQR: 0.33–1.22, IgG on retest: 0.92, IQR: 0.51–1.58). Serum SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM/IgG antibody levels remained at a low level during hospitalisation for asymptomatic patients. Elevated IgM levels may have implications in the identification of RPNAT patients before discharge. This study determined the IgM/IgG changes in asymptomatic and RPNAT patients. The rate of serum SARS-CoV-2 specific IgM/IgG antibody levels increase in the asymptomatic group was lower than in the symptomatic group during hospitalisation. The IgM level did not decrease significantly at discharge in the RPNAT patients, and was higher than that of the Non-RPNAT group on discharge. These results highlight the importance of timely monitoring of IgM levels to identify RPNAT patients before discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore temporal frequency discrimination in amblyopia, and the influence of attentional load on amblyopic temporal cognition. Twenty anisometropic amblyopes, 20 strabismic amblyopes and 20 normal subjects were recruited. A flickering disk was used for visual stimuli. A two-alternative, forced-choice staircase paradigm was used to measure the temporal frequency discrimination thresholds of amblyopic eyes, fellow eyes and normal dominant eyes under reference temporal frequencies of 5, 10 and 20 Hz. The just-noticeable differences data were analyzed statistically. In addition, the temporal frequency discrimination thresholds of the subjects were measured under different conditions of attentional load. The changes in temporal frequency discrimination thresholds were compared between amblyopic and normal eyes when attention was loaded. At the reference temporal frequencies of 5 and 10 Hz, temporal thresholds of amblyopic eyes were significantly increased compared with fellow eyes (P<0.05). Regarding strabismic amblyopia, temporal thresholds of fellow eyes were increased compared with normal eyes (P<0.05). However, no correlation was identified between the temporal-frequency discrimination thresholds and the LogMAR visual acuities in amblyopic eyes. In addition, higher attentional load caused greater changes in temporal thresholds in amblyopic eyes, but the situation was not the same for lower attentional load. In conclusion, in the present study a deficit of temporal frequency discrimination in amblyopic eyes and the fellow eyes of strabismic amblyopes was identified. Furthermore, the influence of attentional load on temporal frequency discrimination in amblyopic eyes was increased compared with normal eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognition is very important in our daily life. However, amblyopia has abnormal visual cognition. Physiological changes of the brain during processes of cognition could be reflected with ERPs. So the purpose of this study was to investigate the speed and the capacity of resource allocation in visual cognitive processing in orientation discrimination task during monocular and binocular viewing conditions of amblyopia and normal control as well as the corresponding eyes of the two groups with ERPs. We also sought to investigate whether the speed and the capacity of resource allocation in visual cognitive processing vary with target stimuli at different spatial frequencies (3, 6 and 9 cpd) in amblyopia and normal control as well as between the corresponding eyes of the two groups. Fifteen mild to moderate anisometropic amblyopes and ten normal controls were recruited. Three-stimulus oddball paradigms of three different spatial frequency orientation discrimination tasks were used in monocular and binocular conditions in amblyopes and normal controls to elicit event-related potentials (ERPs). Accuracy (ACC), reaction time (RT), the latency of novelty P300 and P3b, and the amplitude of novelty P300 and P3b were measured. Results showed that RT was longer in the amblyopic eye than in both eyes of amblyopia and non-dominant eye in control. Novelty P300 amplitude was largest in the amblyopic eye, followed by the fellow eye, and smallest in both eyes of amblyopia. Novelty P300 amplitude was larger in the amblyopic eye than non-dominant eye and was larger in fellow eye than dominant eye. P3b latency was longer in the amblyopic eye than in the fellow eye, both eyes of amblyopia and non-dominant eye of control. P3b latency was not associated with RT in amblyopia. Neural responses of the amblyopic eye are abnormal at the middle and late stages of cognitive processing, indicating that the amblyopic eye needs to spend more time or integrate more resources to process the same visual task. Fellow eye and both eyes in amblyopia are slightly different from the dominant eye and both eyes in normal control at the middle and late stages of cognitive processing. Meanwhile, abnormal extents of amblyopic eye do not vary with three different spatial frequencies used in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We performed a prospective cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of disc synoptoscope on binocularity in patients with abnormal binocular vision. Methods: 39 eligible subjects were recruited for visual therapy with disc synoptoscope in treatment group and 38 were just observed as control. Results: Simultaneous perception in treatment group was better than controls at 6-month visit ( p < 0.05). Fusional amplitude improved in treatment group but decreased in control group at 3- and 6-months visits ( p < 0.001). Near and distance stereopsis in treatment group were better than controls at 3- and 6-months ( p < 0.05). The improvements of monocular and binocular acuity in treatment group were better than controls at 3- and 6-months ( p < 0.05). Postoperative recurrence rate in treatment group was lower than controls ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Visual therapy with disc synoptoscope is effective in improving short-term binocular vision for the patients with abnormal binocular vision; disc synoptoscope could serve as an effective home-based visual therapy instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To assess diabetic retinopathy (DR) prevalence between elderly onset and younger onset diabetes with similar diabetes duration and evaluate the association between DR prevalence and serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels.Methods: A total of 1787 patients with diabetes were enrolled between January 2010 and November 2015. Fundoscopy examination was performed. Patients were divided into three groups by age of diagnosis (<45, 45-64, and ⩾65years) for the analysis of the prevalence of DR. Among them, 150 patients underwent serum IGF-1 measurement. The serum IGF-1 level was compared between patients <65years and ⩾65years.Results: Among 1787 patients, 779 (43.6%) had DR, in which proliferative DR (PDR) 229 (12.8%) patients. For similar diabetes duration, DR prevalence was lower in elderly onset patients. Patients ⩾65years at diagnosis had significantly lowest PDR prevalence of the three groups for similar diabetes duration. IGF-1 levels were lower in patients ⩾65years than in patients <65years (104.89±49.91ng/mL vs. 141.73±62.04ng/mL, P<0.001).Conclusions: Elderly onset patients with diabetes have lower prevalence of PDR than those younger onset patients for similar diabetes duration, which may relate with lower serum IGF-1 levels in older patients. Thus, less stringent glycemic control in older onset patients with diabetes may not increase the prevalence of PDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim was to compare the impact of rigid gas-permeable ( RGP) contact lenses on vision-related quality of life ( VR-QOL) in keratoconic patients with different grades of severity. Methods This comparative study was conducted from December 2012 to September 2013 on 46 patients with bilateral keratoconus. Patients were divided into three groups according to the average of the steep keratometry ( K) readings in the two eyes of each patient. Main outcome measures included binocular visual acuity ( VA), lens wearing time, the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire ( NEI-VFQ-25), foreign body ( FB) sensation, comfort and overall satisfaction. Results Patients with severe keratoconus showed significantly reduced wearing time compared with the other two groups (4.8 ± 2.5 hours per day). Regarding the subjective criteria, there was no significant difference on NEI-VFQ-25 scores, foreign body sensation, comfort and overall satisfaction between mild and moderate keratoconus groups but scores in the group with severe keratoconus were significantly lower than the other two groups. Binocular VA strongly correlated with NEI-VFQ-25 scores; however, NEI-VFQ-25 scores had no significant correlations with different disease severities. Conclusions Appropriate correction with RGP lenses contributes to good VR-QOL for keratoconic patients; however, as the disease progresses to a steep keratometric value of more than 52 dioptres (6.50 mm), RGP lenses did not guarantee a relatively good VR-QOL. Other lens options with new designs might bring better life quality for these patients with severe keratoconus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]