Thirteen-million Americans have AMD, age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness and vision impairment in people over 50. Now, researchers started studying a new kind of therapy for AMD.
It can't reverse the damage, and it's helping patients get the most out of the vision they have left.
Macular degeneration made Russell Delong's world go black.
"To start with, I was totally blind. I couldn't see nothin'," Delong said.
Delong had surgery, but his vision was still blurry.
"Everything looked like a real heavy fog, real heavy. I couldn't see that tractor at all, I could just tell there's something there," Delong said.
After years of treatment, Delong thought he was out of options. Until, a recent study found the brain reorganizes itself to compensate for vision loss. That's the key to a new therapy that teaches patients a whole new way of seeing.
A computer maps areas of the retina damaged by macular degeneration and those that are intact. Then it trains the patient to shift his vision, using the good retinal cells to see.
"So, it's really a series of biofeedback training to get the patient to move in that positive way that we feel is going to be the most sensitive and give him or her the best vision," said Susan Primo, OD, MPH, director at Vision and Optical Service at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Now with special glasses, Delong can read a magazine. Back on the farm, he can see things that used to be a blur.
"If I look at it and it's black, I turn my head a little and I see around the scar tissue, there's a tractor. I can do everything out here, everything," Delong said.
At 74, Delong still has busy days ahead, and he wants to see every second.
Researchers are currently testing the computer therapy at Emory University. Smoking, obesity and race play a role in your risk of developing macular degeneration. Whites are much more likely to lose vision from the disease than other races.
Doctors at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, Ga., are working on a unique form of treatment for AMD that takes advantage of the brain's ability to reorganize itself to make up for vision loss. The therapy involves training AMD patients to focus on using the good cells that remain.
"We are encouraging them or influencing them to be able to use those parts of the retina to be able to better utilize the residual vision," Primo said.
In the treatment, doctors first use a computer to map out the areas of the eye that are damaged. The machine then locates the areas that are still sensitive based on factors like thickness of the retina.
The computer then uses biofeedback - in this case a series of beeps that gets faster and louder as the patient moves closer to using the healthiest portion of the eye - to train the patient to move their eye into the position that gives them the best possible vision.
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Content courtesy of Ivanhoe. For more information, click here.
Thirteen-million Americans have AMD -- age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness and vision impairment in people over 50. Now, researchers are studying a new kind of therapy for the condition. It can’t reverse the damage, but it’s helping patients get the most out of the vision they have left.
For Russell DeLong, this would have been impossible four years ago. Macular degeneration made his world go black.
“To start with, I was totally blind," DeLong told Ivanhoe. "I couldn’t see nothin'.”
He had surgery but his world remained a blur.
“Everything looked like a real heavy fog, real heavy," DeLong said. "I couldn’t see that tractor at all. I could just tell there’s something there."
After years of treatment, he thought he was out of options. A recent study found the brain reorganizes itself to compensate for vision loss. That’s the key to a new therapy that teaches patients a whole new way of seeing.
A computer maps areas of the retina damaged by macular degeneration and those that are intact. Then it trains the patient to shift his vision, using the good retinal cells to see.
“It’s really a series of biofeedback training to get the patient to move in that positive way that we feel is going to be the most sensitive and give him or her the best possible vision," Susan Primo, O.D., Director of Vision and Optical Services at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, Ga., told Ivanhoe.
Now with special glasses, DeLong can read a magazine. Back on the farm, he can see things that used to be a blur.
“If I look at it and it’s black, I turn my head a little and I see around the scar tissue that there’s a tractor," he said. "I can do everything out here. Everything.”
At 74, DeLong still has busy days ahead … and wants to see every second.
"I’m gonna keep going," he said.
Researchers are currently testing the computer therapy at Emory University. Smoking, obesity and race play a role in your risk of developing macular degeneration. Whites are much more likely to lose vision from the disease than other races.
for more information contact www.maculardegenertionassociation.org
Content courtesy of Ivanhoe. For more information, click here.
Thirteen-million Americans have AMD -- age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness and vision impairment in people over 50. Now, researchers are studying a new kind of therapy for the condition. It can’t reverse the damage, but it’s helping patients get the most out of the vision they have left.
For Russell DeLong, this would have been impossible four years ago. Macular degeneration made his world go black.
“To start with, I was totally blind," DeLong told Ivanhoe. "I couldn’t see nothin'.”
He had surgery but his world remained a blur.
“Everything looked like a real heavy fog, real heavy," DeLong said. "I couldn’t see that tractor at all. I could just tell there’s something there."
After years of treatment, he thought he was out of options. A recent study found the brain reorganizes itself to compensate for vision loss. That’s the key to a new therapy that teaches patients a whole new way of seeing.
A computer maps areas of the retina damaged by macular degeneration and those that are intact. Then it trains the patient to shift his vision, using the good retinal cells to see.
“It’s really a series of biofeedback training to get the patient to move in that positive way that we feel is going to be the most sensitive and give him or her the best possible vision," Susan Primo, O.D., Director of Vision and Optical Services at Emory Eye Center in Atlanta, Ga., told Ivanhoe.
Now with special glasses, DeLong can read a magazine. Back on the farm, he can see things that used to be a blur.
“If I look at it and it’s black, I turn my head a little and I see around the scar tissue that there’s a tractor," he said. "I can do everything out here. Everything.”
At 74, DeLong still has busy days ahead … and wants to see every second.
"I’m gonna keep going," he said.
Researchers are currently testing the computer therapy at Emory University. Smoking, obesity and race play a role in your risk of developing macular degeneration. Whites are much more likely to lose vision from the disease than other races.
for more information contact www.maculardegenertionassociation.org
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