Publications

DOVS publications appearing in PubMed over the September 2019 - February 2020 period

An update on retinal prostheses.

Ayton LN, Barnes N, Dagnelie G, Fujikado T, Goetz G, Hornig R, Jones BW, Muqit MMK, Rathbun DL, Stingl K, Weiland JD, Petoe MA.

Clin Neurophysiol. 2019 Dec 10. pii: S1388-2457(19)31326-4.

This invited review provides an overview of the latest state-of-the-art advances in retinal prostheses (“bionic eyes”), with authorship from international leaders in the field.

Imaging relative stasis of the blood column in human retinal capillaries.

Bedggood P, Metha A.

Biomed Opt Express. 2019 Nov 1;10(11):6009-6028.

We describe a retinal imaging method to identify departures from regular capillary flow such as low haematocrit, cell aggregates, and/or very slow flow. Such events disrupt capillary exchange and may be precursors to disease.

Adaptive optics imaging of the retinal microvasculature.

Bedggood P, Metha A.

Clin Exp Optom. 2020 Jan;103(1):112-122.

We summarise the current state of the art, and body of knowledge stemming from, high resolution imaging of the retinal microvasculature with adaptive optics.

Geometry of the Retinal Nerve Fibers From Emmetropia Through to High Myopia at Both the Temporal Raphe and Optic Nerve.

Bedggood P, Mukherjee S, Nguyen BN, Turpin A, McKendrick AM.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Nov 1;60(14):4896-4903.

We used high resolution optical coherence tomography to determine how retinal nerve fiber trajectories and distribution may be altered in myopia as a result of retinal stretch.

Impacts of older age on the temporal properties of collinear facilitation.

Chan YM, Brooks CJ, McKendrick AM.

J Vis. 2019 Dec 2;19(14):5.

The study explored how older age effects spatial vision, to determine the neural processing stage impacted. This publication arises from a MSHS Early Career Researcher Grant awarded to Janet Chan.

An artificial tear containing flaxseed oil for treating dry eye disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Downie LE, Hom MM, Berdy GJ, El-Harazi S, Verachtert A, Tan J, Liu H, Carlisle-Wilcox C, Simmons P, Vehige J.

Ocul Surf. 2020 Jan;18(1):148-157.

This clinical trial supports the use of a nano-emulsion artificial tear (OM3, Allergan), a novel preservative-free nano-emulsion formulation with trehalose and flaxseed oil (omega-3s), for treating dry eye disease.

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids for dry eye disease.

Downie LE, Ng SM, Lindsley KB, Akpek EK.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Dec 18;12:CD011016.

This systematic review, involving data from 34 randomised trials, finds a possible role for long-chain omega-3 supplementation in managing dry eye disease, although the evidence is uncertain and inconsistent.

Non-invasive in vivo hyperspectral imaging of the retina for potential biomarker use in Alzheimer's disease.

Hadoux X, Hui F, Lim JKH, Masters CL, Pébay A, Chevalier S, Ha J, Loi S, Fowler CJ, Rowe C, Villemagne VL, Taylor EN, Fluke C, Soucy JP, Lesage F, Sylvestre JP, Rosa-Neto P, Mathotaarachchi S, Gauthier S, Nasreddine ZS, Arbour JD, Rhéaume MA, Beaulieu S, Dirani M, Nguyen CTO, Bui BV, Williamson R, Crowston JG, van Wijngaarden P.

Nat Commun. 2019 Sep 17;10(1):4227.

This study describes non-invasive retinal imaging using a wide range of visible narrow band wavelengths that helps to discriminate between individuals with and without moderate–high brain Aβ burden.

Optometry Australia's chairside reference for the diagnosis and management of age-related macular degeneration.

Hart KM, Abbott C, Ly A, Kalff S, Lek JJ, Milston R, Page G, Robertson B, Ayton L. Clin Exp Optom. 2019 Sep 30. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12964.

This clinical practice guide was collated by the Age-Related Macular Degeneration Expert Working Group, for Optometry Australia. It covers recommendations for diagnosis, management and referral of AMD.

Hybrid diamond/ carbon fiber microelectrodes enable multimodal electrical/chemical neural interfacing.

Hejazi MA, Tong W, Stacey A, Soto-Breceda A, Ibbotson MR, Yunzab M, Maturana MI, Almasi A, Jung YJ, Sun S, Meffin H, Fang J, Stamp MEM, Ganesan K, Fox K, Rifai A, Nadarajah A, Falahatdoost S, Prawer S, Apollo NV, Garrett DJ.

Biomaterials. 2020 Feb;230:119648. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119648.

For years neuroscientists have used metal electrodes to record data from brains. We have developed a flexible carbon-based electrode that allows recording, stimulation and chemical sensing, with minimal damage.

Utility of Self-Destructing CRISPR/Cas Constructs for Targeted Gene Editing in the Retina.

Li F, Hung SSC, Mohd Khalid MKN, Wang JH, Chrysostomou V, Wong VHY, Singh V, Wing K, Tu L, Bender JA, Pébay A, King AE, Cook AL, Wong RCB, Bui BV, Hewitt AW, Liu GS.

Hum Gene Ther. 2019 Nov;30(11):1349-1360.

Continued gene editing with the CRISPR/Cas system can have unwanted side effects. Here we show that a "kamikaze" CRISPR/Cas that self-destructs after gene editing can be used in the retina.

Posttreatment Intervention With Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides is Neuroprotective in a Rat Model of Chronic Ocular Hypertension.

Lakshmanan Y, Wong FSY, Zuo B, So KF, Bui BV, Chan HH.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Nov 1;60(14):4606-4618.

Wolf berry (Lycium Barbarum), from the same family as the golgi berry has antioxidant properties. Here we show in a model of glaucoma that Lycium Barbarum has neuroprotective properties.

Contrast discrimination under task-induced mental load.

Mahjoob M, Anderson AJ.

Vision Res. 2019 Dec;165:84-89.

Task-induced mental load can potentially degrade visual performance, which could be important during tasks such as driving. We find concurrently performing a demanding auditory task significantly impairs contrast discrimination.

Meibomian gland dropout is associated with immunodeficiency at HIV diagnosis: Implications for dry eye disease.

Nguyen BN, Chung AW, Lopez E, Silvers J, Kent HE, Kent SJ, Downie LE.

Ocul Surf. 2020 Feb 18. pii: S1542-0124(20)30022-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2020.02.003.

We found people infected with HIV have increased meibomian gland dropout that is associated with less immune cells at diagnosis, which may predispose to more prevalent dry eye disease in this population.

Ageing elevates peripheral spatial suppression of motion regardless of divided attention.

Park S, Nguyen BN, McKendrick AM.

Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020 Feb 20. doi: 10.1111/opo.12674. [Epub ahead of print]

Older adults need longer than younger people to correctly identify the motion direction of objects in peripheral vision. This effect may explain some aspects of visual difficulty in older age.

Interventions to Mitigate Cognitive Biases in the Decision Making of Eye Care Professionals: A Systematic Review.

Shlonsky A, Featherston R, Galvin KL, Vogel AP, Granger CL, Lewis C, Luong ML, Downie LE.

Optom Vis Sci. 2019 Nov;96(11):818-824.

This systematic review finds a lack of research studies investigating interventions for mitigating cognitive biases associated with clinical decision making by eye care professionals, highlighting a need for research in this area.

Are current ophthalmology clinical practices relating to blue light-filtering intraocular lenses evidence-based?

Singh S, Anderson AJ, Watson SL, Downie LE.

Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020 Jan;48(1):125-127.

We surveyed Australian ophthalmologist and found blue light-filtering IOLs may be commonly recommended by cataract surgeons, with respondents’ knowledge and attitude towards these lenses being mostly consistent with the best-available research evidence.

Corneal Epithelial "Neuromas": A Case of Mistaken Identity?

Stepp MA, Pal-Ghosh S, Downie LE, Zhang AC, Chinnery HR, Machet J, Di Girolamo N.

Cornea. 2020 Feb 28. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002294.

The term "neuroma" is becoming popular to describe nerve abnormalities in human corneas. Here, we argue that these “pathological” structures may be physiological entry sites where corneal stromal nerves penetrate the epithelium.

Improved visual acuity using a retinal implant and an optimized stimulation strategy.

Tong W, Stamp M, Apollo NV, Ganesan K, Meffin H, Prawer S, Garrett DJ, Ibbotson MR.

J Neural Eng. 2019 Dec 23;17(1):016018.

Electrical stimulation of the brain or retina can be rather imprecise due to the spread of current. We developed new electrode shapes and optimised algorithms that restrict current spread.

Potential mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell type-specific vulnerability in glaucoma.

Wang AY, Lee PY, Bui BV, Jobling AI, Greferath U, Brandli A, Dixon MA, Findlay Q, Fletcher EL, Vessey KA.

Clin Exp Optom. 2019 Dec 15. doi: 10.1111/cxo.13031.

There is growing evidence that not all subtypes of retinal ganglion cells are equally susceptible to glaucoma. Why this might be the case is discussed in this review.

Experience-dependent development of visual sensitivity in larval zebrafish.

Xie J, Jusuf PR, Bui BV, Goodbourn PT.

Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 12;9(1):18931.

We show that development of visual sensitivity in larval zebrafish is primarily driven by exposure to light and form, even in the absence of the explicit stimulus motion.

Correspondence Between Behavioral, Physiological, and Anatomical Measurements of Visual Function in Inhibitory Neuron-Ablated Zebrafish.

Xie J, Goodbourn PT, Bui BV, Sztal TE, Jusuf PR.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Nov 1;60(14):4681-4690.

Removal of inhibitory during retinal development leads to hyperexcitability. We show that in addition to modulating visual signals, inhibitory neurons may be critical for maintaining retinal structure and organization.

Response of the Trilaminar Retinal Vessel Network to Intraocular Pressure Elevation in Rat Eyes.

Zhao D, He Z, Wang L, Fortune B, Lim JKH, Wong VHY, Nguyen CTO, Bui BV.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 Feb 7;61(2):2.

In response to mild IOP elevation the intermediate and deep vascular plexi have a greater capacity for autoregulation. This has implications for understanding susceptibility of specific vascular layers to glaucoma.

Reversibility of Retinal Ganglion Cell Dysfunction From Chronic IOP Elevation.

Zhao D, Wong VHY, Nguyen CTO, Jobling AI, Fletcher EL, Vingrys AJ, Bui BV.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Sep 3;60(12):3878-3886.

We show that if IOP lowering occur early enough the remaining retinal ganglion cell are able to upregulate, such that overall retinal function returns to normal.