Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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Optic gliomas (OG) are rare brain tumors that affect one or both optic nerves or the optic chiasm (the spot where the optic nerves cross each other at the front of the brain).  It is very rare that OG should improve spontaneously, but a recent study looked at how a nerve growth factor (NGF) eye drop could help patients experiencing serious sight impairment due to low grade OG.

The study, published in Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, involved one 45 year old woman who suffered from OG and long-standing optic nerve atrophy.  Administration of this NGF eyedrop over 60 days resulted in improved visual function. Her visual acuity increased by more than three lines, but her vision seemed to worsen 60 days post-treatment.

The researchers concluded that nerve growth factor eye drops could help patients suffering from optic glioma.  This study demonstrated no side effects.

Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, February 22, 2011

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A recent article in Medscape Today reviews approaches to preventing and curing glaucoma (diseases that damage the optic nerve) through the employment of “neuroprotective agents.”   According to the article “neuroprotection aims to protect as yet undamaged, and to rescue already damaged neurons, from the glaucoma insult(s) to retinal ganglion cells.”

In addition to describing more traditional pharmaceutical options for fighting glaucoma, the review includes a discussion of several antioxidants including melatonin, Coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, and ginkgo biloba.  Antioxidants, a more natural approach than the pharmaceuticals in the study, may be helpful neuroprotective agents.

Learn more about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally at our website.

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It is possible to reduce children’s intraocular pressure (or eye pressure) by ensuring that their diet is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber.  Children were studied because they had fewer concurrent medical issues than adults that would potentially skew results.

The polunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are key sources of endogenous prostaglandins (fat derived compounds that are essential to the body’s proper funtion).  A diet rich in PUFAs helps aid eye health and reduces eye pressure, according to this study of information derived from the Singapore Cohort Study of Risk Factors for Myopia.

Researchers found that fiber helps to reduce upswings in blood glucose levels after eating.

Elevated intraocular pressure can lead to glaucoma and other damage to the optic nerve.

Source: http://www.pconsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=75563

For more information on how the nutrients in food can support eye health, visit our website.

Learn about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally.

MicroCurrent Stimulation (MCS) is an enhanced adaptation of a FDA approved therapy used by anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons and rehabilitative specialists to promote the healing of wounds and transplanted tissues as well as to treat pain.

The theory is that MCS helps

1. re-stimulate and energize dormant retinal cells (cells are like batteries — when they run low in energy, they become sluggish and dormant),
2. boost the cells’ ability to rid themselves of waste products which interferes with the flow of energy, nutrients and communication,
3. increase blood supply to the area stimulated. By increasing blood flow to the area, cells and tissues still living can get nourished and refreshed.

Research suggests that microcurrent electrical stimulation device approximates the level of electrical activity present in a healthy eye, resulting in stimulating retinal activity and energizing dormant cells, as well as improving microvascular circulation, nerve conduction and velocity.

Microcurrent stimulation increases ATP (energy) synthesis in the retinal cells needed for membrane viability and waste management (a major concern for those with dry macular degeneration as excess waste not reabsorbed and eliminated results in waste accumulation called “drusen”).

Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa are treated with very precise amounts of tightly controlled electrical current through electrodes applied to the skin at specific areas around the eye. The electrical current is used to stimulate the retina as well as the diseased macula in order to help protect sight. The procedure is safe, noninvasive, and painless and no side effects or adverse reactions have been observed.

For more about MicroCurrent Stimulation, click here.

A small study by Japanese researchers demonstrates an increased blood supply to the retina upon stimulation of certain acupuncture points. Needles were inserted near the posterior base of the thumbs of volunteers while investigators used a laser to scan the retinal blood flow. Both volume and velocity increased in these patients. The work was done at the ophthalmology department at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.

Reported by Dr. Kazuhiko Mori at the annual meeting of the Association for Vision and Ophthalmology in Fort Lauderdale this past May.

For more related information on natural eye care, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness.

The Sylmar, Calif., company produced the devices for the U.S. Energy Department’s Artificial Retina Project. The department has been engaged in biological research since the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s raised fears of radiation poisoning.

The current version is being tested on 17 blind people in the U.S. and Europe, and more patients are being enrolled. At a retina conference in October, patients reported improvements in orientation and mobility. They were able to find a door from 20 feet away and to follow a line on the floor for 20 feet.

Meanwhile, researchers in the Energy Department’s National Laboratories are creating a third-generation artificial retina. Much smaller than its predecessors, the device will contain 200 or more electrodes on a thin, flexible film that curves to fit the shape of the retina. Human tests are scheduled to begin in 2011.

For more information, go to http://artificialretina.energy.gov/index.shtml

For more information and specific research studies by eye condition including nutrition and vision research, go to <a href=”http://www.naturaleyecare.com”>Natural Eye Care </a>

The findings provide hope for treating blindness caused by optic-nerve damage, but
also look promising for spurring similar regeneration in the spinal cord and brain.
Researchers said Monday a newly discovered growth factor could hold the key to regenerating damaged optic nerves — and more. The research team at Children’s Hospital in Boston say they have found a naturally occurring, previously unrecognized growth factor that stimulates regeneration in injured optic nerves.
The findings provide hope for treating blindness caused by optic-nerve damage, but
also look promising for spurring similar regeneration in the spinal cord and brain,
they said.

The growth factor is called oncomodulin and when it was added to retinal nerve cells
in the lab, with known growth-promoting factors already present, the growth of axons
– or cells in the optic nerves — nearly doubled.

No other growth factor was as potent, the researchers said.

More Nerve Regeneration

In live rats with optic-nerve injury, oncomodulin released from tiny sustained-release
capsules increased nerve regeneration five- to seven-fold when given along with
a drug that helps cells respond to oncomodulin, the team said.

Oncomodulin also appears to switch on a variety of genes associated with axon growth,
the researchers said.

“Out of the blue, we found a molecule that causes more nerve regeneration than
anything else ever studied,” said one of the study investigators. We expect
this to spur further research into what else oncomodulin is doing in the nervous
system and elsewhere.

The data are published in the May 14 online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

For more related research, go to www.naturaleyecare.com (see “Research” section).