Publications

Mechanisms of Feature Selectivity and Invariance in Primary Visual Cortex

Almasi A, Meffin H, Cloherty SL, Wong Y, Yunzab M, Ibbotson MR.

Cereb Cortex. 2020 Jul 30;30(9):5067-5087.

As signals progress through the hierarchy of visual processing, feature selectivity and invariance increase simultaneously (e.g. increased selectivity for edges but invariance to their orientation). This paper investigates this conundrum.

Recurrent Optic Disc Hemorrhage and Its Association with Visual Field Deterioration in Glaucoma

An D, House P, Barry C, Turpin A, McKendrick AM, Chauhan BC, Manners S, Graham S, Yu DY, Morgan WH.

Ophthalmol Glaucoma. 2020 Jun 9:S2589-4196(20)30162-9.

Patients with POAG were followed every 3 months for 5 years. Recurrent optic disc hemorrhage (ODH) correlated with faster visual field defect progression. The incidence of ODH was 45%.

A Temporal Sampling Basis for Visual Processing in Developmental Dyslexia

Archer K, Pammer K, Vidyasagar TR.

Front Hum Neurosci. 2020 Jul 8;14:213.

This paper suggests that reading depends upon sampling of visual information between cortical areas at specific temporal frequencies along the dorsal cortical stream. This process may be disrupted in dyslexia.

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. 2020 Jun;131(6):1383-1398.

This invited review provides a comprehensive review of retinal prostheses (bionic eyes), including a description of current technologies and a discussion of the challenges that face developers.

Harmonization of Outcomes and Vision Endpoints in Vision Restoration Trials: Recommendations from the International HOVER Taskforce

Ayton LN, Rizzo JF 3rd, Bailey IL, Colenbrander A, Dagnelie G, Geruschat DR, Hessburg PC, McCarthy CD, Petoe MA, Rubin GS, Troyk PR; HOVER International Taskforce.

Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2020 Jul 16;9(8):25.

Over 80 international experts form the HOVER taskforce, led by Dr Ayton. These guidelines outline how to measure and report outcomes in trials of bionic eyes, gene therapy, stem cells and other vision restoration therapies.

Are you sure? The relationship between response certainty and performance in visual detection using a perimetry-style task

Bedggood P, Ahmad A, Chen A, Lim R, Maqsudi S, Metha A.

J Vis. 2020 Aug 3;20(8):27. doi: 10.1167/jov.20.8.27.

In visual field testing, the confidence associated with each button press is an untapped source of information. We show that giving patients a button to indicate “certain” could reduce test times by 40%.

Recovering the appearance of the capillary blood column from under-sampled flow data

Bedggood P, Metha A.

Opt Lett. 2020 Aug 1;45(15):4320-4323.

Adaptive optics allows the tracking of individual cells through retinal capillaries. However, cells moving too quickly are lost. We present a method to recover previously unrecoverable cell trajectories, allowing most cells to be tracked.

Tyro3 Contributes to Retinal Ganglion Cell Function, Survival and Dendritic Density in the Mouse Retina

Blades F, Wong VHY, Nguyen CTO, Bui BV, Kilpatrick TJ, Binder MD.

Front Neurosci. 2020 Aug 14;14:840.

Tyro3 is a member of the TAM family, receptors that play essential roles in phagocytosis, cell survival and immune homeostasis. This study shows for the first time that Tyro3 modulates retinal function, ganglion cell morphology and survival.

Tunneling Nanotubes and the Eye: Intercellular Communication and Implications for Ocular Health and Disease

Chinnery HR, Keller KE.

Biomed Res Int. 2020 Apr 8;2020:7246785.

Tunneling nanotubes are long, thin, membranous structures that enable cellular communication. This review summarises current evidence of tunneling nanotube-mediated communication in ocular cells and tissues during development and disease.

In vivo immune cell dynamics in the human cornea

Colorado LH, Edwards K, Chinnery HR, Bazan HE.

Exp Eye Res. 2020 Aug 23;199:108168.

Dynamic imaging of corneal immune cells was performed in the living human eye.  This novel method provides a foundation to significantly advance the understanding of the human immune system in vivo.

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction

Cote S, Zhang AC, Ahmadzai V, Maleken A, Li C, Oppedisano J, Nair K, Busija L, Downie LE.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Mar 18;3(3):CD013559.

This systematic review identified few high-quality studies evaluating the safety or efficacy of IPL therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction. This finding is highly relevant to clinicians considering using this intervention.

Knowledge, perspectives and clinical practices of Australian optometrists in relation to childhood myopia

Douglass A, Keller PR, He M, Downie LE.

Clin Exp Optom. 2020 Mar;103(2):155-166.

This survey of Australian optometrists found that current clinical practices related to childhood myopia management largely reflect the inconclusive nature of several key aspects of the evidence.

Blocking endothelial apoptosis revascularizes the retina in a model of ischemic retinopathy

Grant ZL, Whitehead L, Wong VH, He Z, Yan RY, Miles AR, Benest AV, Bates DO, Prahst C, Bentley K, Bui BV, Symons RC, Coultas L.

J Clin Invest. 2020 Aug 3;130(8):4235-4251.

Ischemia causes apoptosis of endothelial cells. If apoptosis can be reduced then the endothelial cells preserved within ischemic tissue have capacity to reassemble a functional blood vessel network.

Age-Specific Retinal and Cerebral Immunodetection of Amyloid-β Plaques and Oligomers in a Rodent Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Habiba U, Merlin S, Lim JKH, Wong VHY, Nguyen CTO, Morley JW, Bui BV, Tayebi M.

J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;76(3):1135-1150.

There is evidence of retinal amyloid beta plaque disposition in the retina in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In an animal model of AD we provide evidence that soluble amyloid beta is converted to Aβ plaques in ageing eyes.

Illusory Motion Perception Is Associated with Contrast Discrimination but Not Motion Sensitivity, Self-Reported Visual Discomfort, or Migraine Status

He C, Nguyen BN, Chan YM, McKendrick AM.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 Jul 1;61(8):43.

People with migraine report experiencing visual discomfort frequently. Self-reported visual discomfort did not relate to quantified motion illusion strength. Motion illusion strength did relate to contrast discrimination ability.

Novel alterations in corneal neuroimmune phenotypes in mice with central nervous system tauopathy

Jiao H, Downie LE, Huang X, Wu M, Oberrauch S, Keenan RJ, Jacobson LH, Chinnery HR.

J Neuroinflammation. 2020 Apr 28;17(1):136.

Corneal dendritic cells and nerve morphology were altered in a mouse model of central nervous system tauopathy. Activation of corneal dendritic cells indicates a potential ocular manifestation of the neurodegeneration.

Topographical and Morphological Differences of Corneal Dendritic Cells during Steady State and Inflammation

Jiao H, Naranjo Golborne C, Dando SJ, McMenamin PG, Downie LE, Chinnery HR.

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2020 Aug 17;28(6):898-907.

Local and systemic inflammation induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide had differential effects on corneal immune cells. These findings are translatable to our understanding of morphological variations of corneal dendritic cells in humans.

Corneal Epithelial Dendritic Cell Response as a Putative Marker of Neuro-inflammation in Small Fiber Neuropathy

Kamel JT, Zhang AC, Downie LE.

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2020 Aug 17;28(6):898-907.

This case report identifies corneal dendritic cell density as a potential non-invasive marker of symptomatic small fibre neuropathy due to inflammatory causes.

Psychometric Properties of the Keratoconus Outcomes Research Questionnaire: A Save Sight Keratoconus Registry Study

Kandel H, Pesudovs K, Ferdi A, Mills R, Chen JY, Watson A, Poon A, Downie LE, Watson SL.

Cornea. 2020 Mar;39(3):303-310.

This paper describes results from a validation study that shows that the Keratoconus Outcomes Research Questionnaire (KORQ) provides a robust measure of quality-of-life outcomes in people with keratoconus.

Sensory augmentation to aid training with retinal prostheses

Kvansakul J, Hamilton L, Ayton LN, McCarthy C, Petoe MA.

J Neural Eng. 2020 Jul 13;17(4):045001.

Combining visual and auditory modalities led to an improvement in light localisation accuracy and response times. The results suggest there may be a benefit to including auditory cues when training bionic eye recipients.

Longitudinal outcomes of circumlimbal suture model-induced chronic ocular hypertension in Sprague-Dawley albino rats

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

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020 Jul 5.

Functional deficits and loss of retinal ganglion cells preceded retinal thinning as measured in a rodent model of glaucoma induced using a minimally invasive circumlimbal al suture model.

Retinal Functional and Structural Changes in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Lim JKH, Li QX, He Z, Vingrys AJ, Chinnery HR, Mullen J, Bui BV, Nguyen CTO.

Front Neurosci. 2020 Aug 13;14:862.

Using a murine model of Alzheimer's disease we show that the inner retina is more sensitive to amyloid changes in early disease and that the outer retina also becomes affected with disease progression.

Gene Therapy Intervention in Neovascular Eye Disease: A Recent Update

Lin FL, Wang PY, Chuang YF, Wang JH, Wong VHY, Bui BV, Liu GS.

Mol Ther. 2020 Jun 30:S1525-0016(20)30341-5.

This review provides updates on the development of antiangiogenic approaches, including current gene therapy strategies already in clinical trials and the latest preclinical outcomes of studies utilizing CRISPR-Cas gene editing.

Non-invasive Instrument-Based Tests for Quantifying Anterior Chamber Flare in Uveitis: A Systematic Review

Liu X, McNally TW, Beese S, Downie LE, Solebo AL, Faes L, Husain S, Keane PA, Moore DJ, Denniston AK.

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2020 Apr 7:1-9.

This systematic review identified laser-flare photometry to have moderate-to-strong correlation with clinician grading and aqueous protein concentration in uveitis, and thus can potentially offer an automated and objective assessment approach.

Effect of fundus tracking on structure-function relationship in glaucoma

Montesano G, Rossetti LM, McKendrick AM, Turpin A, Fogagnolo P, Oddone F, Lanzetta P, Perdicchi A, Johnson CA, Brusini P, Garway-Heath DF, Crabb DP.

Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Mar 2:bjophthalmol-2019-315070.

We related structural data (OCT) to functional data acquired with the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) and the Compass fundus perimeter (CMP, equipped with fundus tracking). Performance of the two devices was similar.

Migraine Screening in Primary Eye Care Practice: Current Behaviors and the Impact of Clinician Education

Nguyen BN, Singh S, Downie LE, McKendrick AM.

Headache. 2020 Aug 7. doi: 10.1111/head.13920.

We identified an opportunity for continuing professional development re: migraine screening. Educating optometrists on the importance and utility of a validated migraine screening tool is achievable and may improve identification and management of migraine.

The Ida Mann 2020 special issue: Vision scientists breaking the glass ceiling

Pardhan S, Thompson B, Downie LE, Porter J, van Nispen RMA.

Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020 Mar;40(2):61-65.

This Editorial was for the ‘Ida Mann 2020 Special Issue’, celebrating leading female vision scientists. It pays tribute to Professor Dame Ida Mann, a distinguished ophthalmologist recognised for her inspiring work in ocular embryology.

Optical stimulation of neural tissue

Richardson RT, Ibbotson MR, Thompson AC, Wise AK, Fallon JB.

Healthc Technol Lett. 2020 Jun 25;7(3):58-65.

Overview of the use of optical stimulation as an alternative or adjunct to electrical stimulation for modulating neural activity to manage conditions such as hearing loss, blindness or movement disorders.

Differential aging effects in motion perception tasks for central and peripheral vision

Sepulveda JA, Anderson AJ, Wood JM, McKendrick AM.

J Vis. 2020 May 11;20(5):8. doi: 10.1167/jov.20.5.8.

Motion perception is critical for driving. We find aging effects are not uniform across all motion tasks, and that performance using periphery vision cannot always be predicted from performance measured centrally.

Ocular motor measures of visual processing changes in visual snow syndrome

Solly EJ, Clough M, McKendrick AM, Foletta P, White OB, Fielding J.

Neurology. 2020 Jul 16:10.1212/WNL.0000000000010372.

We show that performance on simple ocular motor tasks differs in people with Visual Snow Syndrome, demonstrating changes to cortical processing of visual information.

Minimizing axon bundle activation of retinal ganglion cells with oriented rectangular electrodes

Tong W, Hejazi M, Garrett DJ, Esler T, Prawer S, Meffin H, Ibbotson MR.

J Neural Eng. 2020 Jun 29;17(3):036016.

In Bionic eyes, by placing rectangular electrodes on the retinal surface, unwanted axon bundle activation is minimised and the activation pattern confined. This strategy will improve retinal prostheses.

Stimulation Strategies for Improving the Resolution of Retinal Prostheses

Tong W, Meffin H, Garrett DJ, Ibbotson MR.

Front Neurosci. 2020 Mar 26;14:262.

This paper summarises the recent progress and the remaining challenges in the development of stimulation strategies for retinal prostheses, which are implantable devices designed for restoring vision to the blind.

Acquired Visual Deficits Independent of Lesion Site in Acute Stroke

Wijesundera C, Vingrys AJ, Wijeratne T, Crewther SG.

Front Neurol. 2020 Jul 17;11:705.

Radiologically confirmed acute stroke cases have losses of visual field and acuity-in-noise and 44% are not aware of this loss. We find no association between structural (MRI/CT) and visual outcomes.

The neuroregenerative effects of topical decorin on the injured mouse cornea

Wu M, Downie LE, Grover LM, Moakes RJA, Rauz S, Logan A, Jiao H, Hill LJ, Chinnery HR.

J Neuroinflammation. 2020 May 4;17(1):142.

This study demonstrates a therapeutic effect of decorin, a small proteoglycan, on corneal nerve regeneration and macrophage suppression after injury. This effect was mediated by corneal epithelial dendritic cells.

Ocular Demodex: a systematic review of the clinical literature

Zhang AC, Muntz A, Wang MTM, Craig JP, Downie LE.

Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2020 Jul;40(4):389-432.

Demodex are small mites that live in human hair follicles. This comprehensive clinical review summarises what we know about the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of Demodex found in eyelashes.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid oral supplements for improving peripheral nerve health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Zhang AC, De Silva MEH, MacIsaac RJ, Roberts L, Kamel J, Craig JP, Busija L, Downie LE.

Nutr Rev. 2020 Apr 1;78(4):323-341.

This review synthesised clinical trial data relating to the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on peripheral nerves. We find this intervention may reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Eye Health: Opinions and Self-Reported Practice Behaviors of Optometrists in Australia and New Zealand

Zhang AC, Singh S, Craig JP, Downie LE.

Nutrients. 2020 Apr 22;12(4):1179.

Based upon a survey of optometrists, this paper reports that optometrists routinely make recommendations about diet and omega-3 fatty acids, particularly for dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration.