The Man Who Forgot How to Read and Other Stories
This BBC special looks at several of Dr. Sack's patients...including StereoSue (Dr. Susan Barry) and her story about finally experiencing 3D vision after years of being told it was impossible.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hepatitis C: Diagnosis and Treatment
Hepatitis C, a common chronic bloodborne infection, is found in approximately 2 percent of adults in the United States. Chronic infection is associated with serious morbidity and mortality (e.g., cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma). .... The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening for hepatitis C virus infection in asymptomatic adults who are not at increased risk of infection (general population). ..... Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent hepatitis C virus infection; however, persons infected with hepatitis C virus should be vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. .....
Comments: Click on the title above to access the full article. Hep C can be a serious infection. You should now about it....read about it here. DM
Comments: Click on the title above to access the full article. Hep C can be a serious infection. You should now about it....read about it here. DM
Angie’s List: Listing towards the Wrong Side
Angie’s List: Listing towards the Wrong Side
An Open Letter to Angie Hicks Founder of Angie’s List
Dear Angie,
I knew optometry was going to be in for a rough time when I read the first sentence. In a recent Angie’s List magazine article, “Can’t See Eye to Eye”[a] (written by Michael Schroeder) the very first sentence set the tone when the author used the following quote: “Even though I love my optometrist, I would never ever let him do surgery.”
Dear, dear Angie, for an organization that prides itself on solid, truthful reviews of services and products, this article does your business and your readers a major disservice. It is obvious that the author does not understand the profession or Optometry, nor the issues involved between Optometry and ophthalmology.
As the American Optometric Association notes, Doctors of Optometry (ODs) are the primary health care professionals for the eye. Optometrists examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye. We are America’s eye doctors. We serve more people in more communities than any other eye care professional. And we do this with fiscal restraint. Optometrists are the only eye care provider in more than 3,500 communities across the United States. The bottom line is that our patients receive outstanding care at a reasonable cost.
Please note that ophthalmologists are not optometrists. They do not go to optometry school. They do not receive the well rounded education a primary care optometrist receives. They are narrow in scope and practice.
Undergraduates, who wish to have a career in optometry, often participate in the same pre-med/pre-denistry/pre-optometry programs that all who wish a career in health care pursue. After completing their undergraduate study, they then apply to optometry school. Competition for these doctoral positions is stiff. At the Illinois College of Optometry, where I am a Professor of Pediatrics and Binocular Vision, the graduating class of 2011 had 144 members receiving diplomas and were chosen from a pool of 912 applicants. This graduating class was comprised of 67% women with representation from 26 states, 6 Canadian Provinces and several foreign countries.
Our students take the same anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and disease courses that MDs, DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) and other health care providers take. In fact future MDs, DOs and ODs often take these courses side by side at many schools and colleges of Optometry. Optometrists often have more hours in pharmacology than most of those individuals studying medicine.
Clinically our students work with a wide variety of patients. These patients often have hypertension, diabetes, and other serious chronic and acute systemic and ocular diseases. They often work side by side with MDs while diagnosing and treating these patients. At the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI), the clinical arm of the Illinois College of Optometry, we see almost 100,000 patient visits a year. In the Pediatrics/Binocular Vision Service, where I spend most of my time, we see up to 14,000 patient visits per year. Our patients range in age from infants to those who even seniors would consider senior.
After examining patients at the IEI, we send our students around the world for additional experience. Our future Doctors of Optometry receive education and clinical training in China and Australia, in Dubai and all over the United States. They work alongside other health care professionals in hospitals, secondary and tertiary health care centers and even in large group practices. Optometrists and optometry students from Spain and Australia often spend several weeks at the IEI to increase their clinical skills as well.
Before graduation all students must pass vigorous state and national board written and clinical examinations. I’m proud to say that the graduates of the Illinois College of Optometry in 2010 had a NBEO Part 1 Basic Science Pass Rate of 97.16%, Part 2 Clinical Science Pass Rate of 96.5% and a Part 3 Patient Care Pass Rates of 100%! This year we also had one of our students receive the highest score on the NBEO Part 1 of all those taking the test around the country.
Although the Doctor of Optometry is a terminal degree and no additional training is required before the graduate can practice, more than 15% of the Class of 2011 went on to participate in residency programs. These programs include specialized education and clinical training in primary care, eye disease, pediatrics, binocular vision, and vision therapy, as well as, cornea and contact lens, refractive surgery, vision rehabilitation and several other areas. This advanced training is conducted at various Veterans’ Affairs Medical Centers across the country, secondary and tertiary health care centers, various schools and colleges of Optometry and other similar facilities. All of these residencies are associated with a college or school of Optometry and are accredited by one or more organizations.
Optometrists have earned the title of Doctor.
All health care professions use education to advance their scope of practice to serve patients better and to make affordable access to care possible. Optometry is not different in this regard. I do not know of a single doctor who would use any procedure, non-medical, medical or surgical, if they were not thoroughly trained in its application. Medicine does this. Optometry does this.
Now back to your article. The author uses “scare tactics” by telling stories of optometrists who perhaps did not provide the best care. How sad that the author stopped at just telling these stories about optometrists. I have very sad stories to tell you of where ophthalmology failed their patients and their patients suffered serious visual impairment because of this. I could tell you the story about the refractive surgeon who used an old microtome blade during surgery and bits of metal chipped off this worn blade and to this day are embedded in the patient’s cornea. I could tell you about another refractive surgery mishap, where with glasses the patient saw 20/20 and unfortunately after surgery the best the patient could see was 20/40 with halos and glare.
All doctors make mistakes no matter what their training. We are human after all. And there are some doctors of any variety (MD, DO, OD, PhD, DDS) who should not be in practice. You did your readers and subscribers a major disservice by using such yellow journalism. I thought your standards were higher than this.
The author takes another dig at Optometry when he states, “…post optometry school education can amount to weekend courses at the Holiday Inn to learn surgery.” Where do you think our MD colleagues receive their post-graduate education? Yes, MDs sometimes learn new surgical procedures at the Holiday Inn as well. It is not where we learn, but how well we learn it that matters. Too bad Mr. Schroeder doesn’t realize this. Most of my colleagues receive their post graduate education during the annual meetings of such prestigious organizations as the American Academy of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, and the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
By the way, did you know that our OMD colleagues are so frightened by Optometry’s ability to successfully increase their scope of practice through education that they do not allow optometrists to attend their meetings! If ophthalmology really cared about their patients more than their pocket books, wouldn’t you think they would want any who treat patients to have the best education possible from as many sources as possible? Obviously, this is not true for organized ophthalmology.
And now…it’s time to educate Mr. Schroeder about our legislative system. His article comes across as if Optometry pulled some fast political maneuvers that involved hundreds of thousands of dollars. What Optometry did was to make it quite clear to the law makers that Doctors of Optometry provide excellent, accessible and affordable medical/surgical care to their patients. Ophthalmology could not counter this with any rationale argument. It’s a shame that Mr. Schroeder didn’t take the time to find out how many hundreds of thousands (millions?) of dollars MDs have available to ensure access to law makers throughout the states and nationally. This is just one more example of sloppy, incomplete and just plain bad reporting.
If Angie’s List magazine was called the National Enquirer, I could understand how such an article could be published. We expect more from you. You let us down.
One of the best ways Americans have available to us to show displeasure with a product or service is to not buy the product or use the service. Until you can restore my faith in what otherwise appears to be a solid organization, I am seriously considering canceling my subscription to Angie’s List. I am also recommending that all Optometrists, their families and our patients re-evaluate the benefits of subscribing to Angie’s List as well.
We all want Angie’s List to be an organization that provides information we can trust. You failed to do this by publishing this biased article.
Sincerely,
Dominick M. Maino, OD, MEd, FAAO, FCOVD-A
Professor, Pediatrics/Binocular Vision Illinois Eye Institute/Illinois College of Optometry
Attention All ICO Alumni: A message from Connie Scavuzzo, Director Alumni Affairs
Greetings Illinois College of Optometry Alumni!
Come celebrate with your classmates and colleagues during ICO's Homecoming (formerly Alumni Weekend) held September 9-11, 2011. Check out the complete schedule and registration form on the attachment and see all of the new and exciting social and educational events planned. Based on your feedback from the post-event survey last year, we've made some changes that will make your visit to campus and to Chicago even more enjoyable. And, this year we have incorporated some family-friendly programming that will make it more feasible to bring the whole family.
Here are some things you should know:
The Homecoming Schedule....
The class reunion and awards celebration dinner will be held at the Shedd Aquarium on Friday, September 9th. Starting at 6:30 pm, attendees will be given exclusive access to the entire Aquarium for the evening. Child care services are available at no charge Friday evening at the Hilton Chicago (host hotel) and a shuttle will be provided to the Shedd from the Hilton.
On Saturday, September 10th, there will be a special 50 Year Club Breakfast honoring alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago; activities on campus that include a Student/Alumni Mingle featuring networking, exhibitors and raffle prizes; 2 hours of CE; the Grand Opening of our newly renovated Lecture Center; and a family-friendly Blindspot Carnival, with carnival food & beverages, games of skill, Who's Who Bingo, and raffle prizes. A special discount is provided for children under 12. Chicago Explorer Passes, offering admission discounts for many Chicago attractions, are available for those wish to do some sight-seeing during their stay.
Sunday, September 11th, includes 4 more hours of CE starting at 9:00 am. ICO Alumni receive a discounted rate on all Homecoming CE.
(All CE is non-tested.)
Registration....
Registration materials are attached. You may also register online at www.ico.edu, and you will find a hard copy available in the summer issue of ICO Matters. Register by July 30th and you may win an iPad2!
Hotel Information....
A limited number of rooms will be held until September 1st at the historic Hilton Chicago hotel, located at 720 S. Michigan Avenue. To make reservations, call 877-865-5320 and identify yourself with the "Illinois College of Optometry Guest Room Block" to receive the special discounted rates of $169.00 and $229.00 per night. A shuttle between the Hilton and campus will be provided all day Saturday.
Special Networking Event....Alums Wanted
You are invited to participate in a special networking event on September 10th from 4-6 pm, during the Student/Alumni Mingle. We would like alumni practicing in different practice settings to talk informally with students about their experiences in practice. For those alums who participate, ICO will offer complimentary CE for Saturday's 2 hour program from 2-4 pm. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at cscavuzzo@ico.edu now.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to contact your classmates to encourage their attendance, please contact me at 312-949-7080 or email me at cscavuzzo@ico.edu or alumni@ico.edu for assistance.
Hope to see you in September!
Best regards,
Connie
Connie M. Scavuzzo, M.A.
Director of Alumni Development
Illinois College of Optometry
Director of Alumni Development
Illinois College of Optometry
3241 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
***************
ph 312-949-7080
fx 312-949-7683
Disruption Of Neural Activity In Autistic Toddlers
....A new study provides valuable insight into the neuropathology of early autism development by imaging the brains of naturally sleeping toddlers. The research, published by Cell Press in the June 24 issue of the journal Neuron, identifies a brain abnormality observed at the very beginning stages of autism that may aid in early diagnosis of autism and shed light on its underlying biology.....
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
MenC vaccine booster advocated
Two studies published this month suggest the need for a meningitis C vaccine booster in early adolescence to maintain long-term protection.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Oxytocin Promises Hope In Prader-Willi Syndrome
....Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which affects one child in 25,000. Children born with this syndrome have a range of complex neurological and developmental problems which continue into adult life. These can manifest as cognitive and behavioral difficulties, weight gain, problems in controlling their temper and attendant difficulties in socialization. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, demonstrates that the hormone oxytocin is able to positively affect patients by improving trust, mood, and reducing disruptive behavior.....
Comments: I've had the opportunity to work with several children and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome and they have always been a pleasure to examine. Any intervention that improves the lives of those with PWS should be welcome. (See Libov A, Maino D. Prader-Willi syndrome. J Am Optom Assoc 1994;65:355-59). A genetic disorder that involves the same gene is also interesting. See
Schneider B, Maino D. Angelman syndrome. J Am Optom Assoc 1993;64:502-6.)
Omega-3 Research
Omega-3s: Next Wonder Drug? Check out these studies:
Matsuoka Y, Nishi D, Yonemoto N, Hamazaki K, Hamazaki T, Hashimoto K.
Psychother Psychosom. 2011 Jun 30;80(5):310-312. [Epub ahead of print]
Salisbury AC, Amin AP, Harris WS, Chan PS, Gosch KL, Rich MW, O'Keefe JH Jr, Spertus JA.
Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 Jul;86(7):626-32.
Meldrum SJ, D'Vaz N, Dunstan J, Mori TA, Prescott SL.
Contemp Clin Trials. 2011 Jun 22. [Epub ahead of print]
Keen D, Hadijikoumi I.
Clin Evid (Online). 2011 Feb 4;2011. pii: 0312.
Luxwolda MF, Kuipers RS, Smit EN, Velzing-Aarts FV, Janneke Dijck-Brouwer DA, Muskiet FA.
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2011 Jun 27. [Epub ahead of print]
Agouridis AP, Tsimihodimos V, Filippatos TD, Dimitriou AA, Tellis CC, Elisaf MS, Mikhailidis DP, Tselepis AD.
Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2011 Jun 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Serebruany VL, Miller M, Pokov AN, Lynch D, Jensen JK, Hallén J, Atar D.
Cardiology. 2011;118(3):187-94. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
Mourek J, Mourek J Jr.
Prague Med Rep. 2011;112(2):81-92.
Mozurkewich E, Chilimigras J, Klemens C, Keeton K, Allbaugh L, Hamilton S, Berman D, Vazquez D, Marcus S, Djuric Z, Vahratian A.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2011 Jun 22;11(1):46. [Epub ahead of print]
Comment: click on the title above for additional research.DM
Monday, July 4, 2011
Learning Disabilities Linked to Progressive Aphasia
CHICAGO, Jan. 11 -- Learning disabilities may be a precursor of later language loss in patients with primary progressive aphasia. Learning disorders were more common among such patients and their family members than among healthy controls or those with other dementias. However, the researchers cautioned, the findings do not suggest that all patients with dyslexia are at elevated risk of the neurodegenerative condition.
Action Points
Explain to interested patients that this study suggests that learning disabilities may be a risk factor for primary progressive aphasia.
Caution that the study does not suggest that all patients with learning disabilities are at risk for neurodegenerative disease.
"This relationship may exist in only a small subgroup of persons with dyslexia," they wrote.
Primary progressive aphasia is characterized by the progressive loss of language functioning over time with relative preservation of other cognitive domains within the first 2 years of symptom onset. Neuroanatomically, the pathological changes are frequently asymmetric and most severe in the hemisphere dominant for language, usually the left.
As a follow-up to observations of learning disabilities among a small set of patients, the researchers studied prevalence of self-reported learning disabilities among participants in the Northwestern Alzheimer's Disease Center registry.
The analysis included 699 individuals in the registry who responded to questions about learning disabilities.
Among the participants, 108 met criteria for primary progressive aphasia, 154 had typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease, and 84 had the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia. These clinical diagnoses were made by consensus of a neurologist and a neuropsychologist at the single center.
Patients with primary progressive aphasia were significantly more likely than those with Alzheimer's disease, the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia, or healthy controls to have a personal history of learning disability (14.8% versus 4.5%, 7.1%, and 1.4%, respectively, P0.001 for all).
First-degree family members (parents, siblings, and children) of patients with primary progressive aphasia also had a significantly higher prevalence of learning disabilities compared with the other participants (29.6% versus 10.4% of those with Alzheimer's, 14.3% of those with the variant of frontotemporal dementia, and 6.8% of healthy controls, P0.001 for all).
Based on their initial results, the researchers also retrospectively reviewed medical records of the 23 primary progressive aphasia patients who reported personal or family history of learning disabilities.
They found "unusual familial concentrations of learning disabilities in these families," especially dyslexia.
In three families, nearly all of the children of the primary progressive aphasia patients were reported to have language-specific learning disabilities.
In one case, the primary progressive aphasia patient did not learn to read until about age 10, always had poor spelling, and was unable to learn a foreign language despite attempts to do so. All three of his children and both of his granddaughters were reported to have dyslexia. Only one of his sons was able to graduate from high school.
In another case, all three of the primary progressive aphasia patient's children had learning disabilities related to speech, reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, and learning language.
In the third case, the patient struggled with English, literature, and spelling, and received speech therapy early in life despite doing well in math and science. Of the patient's four children, two sons and a daughter were reported to have difficulty with spelling and one of the sons also had difficulty with reading.
All five siblings of another primary progressive aphasia patient were reported to have persistent difficulty with reading and spelling.
"These results suggest that learning disabilities may constitute a risk factor for primary progressive aphasia," the researchers said, "providing additional clues concerning the selective vulnerability in this syndrome."
Learning disabilities in these patients, they said, may be a marker for pre-existing developmental or acquired susceptibilities in language areas of the brain that are neurologically compensated but eventually become a focal point for degenerative disease that would have struck elsewhere if they had different susceptibilities.
Since the association was found for both personal and family history of learning disabilities, this risk factor may have "a genetic component that is developmentally expressed as dyslexia in some individuals and as a neurodegenerative disease, also affecting language, in others."
The findings may underestimate the frequency of learning disabilities in these patients because family and even personal history in this complex are likely to be incomplete, the researchers noted.
"In our clinical practice," they wrote, "we encounter many patients with primary progressive aphasia who report that spelling was never their 'strong suit' or that they could not learn new languages, but who would not have identified themselves as having a learning disorder."
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer's Disease Core Center, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.
Primary source: Archives of NeurologySource reference:Rogalski E, et al "Increased frequency of learning disability in patients with primary progressive aphasia and their first-degree relatives"Arch Neurol 2008; 65: 244-248.
Explain to interested patients that this study suggests that learning disabilities may be a risk factor for primary progressive aphasia.
Caution that the study does not suggest that all patients with learning disabilities are at risk for neurodegenerative disease.
"This relationship may exist in only a small subgroup of persons with dyslexia," they wrote.
Primary progressive aphasia is characterized by the progressive loss of language functioning over time with relative preservation of other cognitive domains within the first 2 years of symptom onset. Neuroanatomically, the pathological changes are frequently asymmetric and most severe in the hemisphere dominant for language, usually the left.
As a follow-up to observations of learning disabilities among a small set of patients, the researchers studied prevalence of self-reported learning disabilities among participants in the Northwestern Alzheimer's Disease Center registry.
The analysis included 699 individuals in the registry who responded to questions about learning disabilities.
Among the participants, 108 met criteria for primary progressive aphasia, 154 had typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease, and 84 had the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia. These clinical diagnoses were made by consensus of a neurologist and a neuropsychologist at the single center.
Patients with primary progressive aphasia were significantly more likely than those with Alzheimer's disease, the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia, or healthy controls to have a personal history of learning disability (14.8% versus 4.5%, 7.1%, and 1.4%, respectively, P0.001 for all).
First-degree family members (parents, siblings, and children) of patients with primary progressive aphasia also had a significantly higher prevalence of learning disabilities compared with the other participants (29.6% versus 10.4% of those with Alzheimer's, 14.3% of those with the variant of frontotemporal dementia, and 6.8% of healthy controls, P0.001 for all).
Based on their initial results, the researchers also retrospectively reviewed medical records of the 23 primary progressive aphasia patients who reported personal or family history of learning disabilities.
They found "unusual familial concentrations of learning disabilities in these families," especially dyslexia.
In three families, nearly all of the children of the primary progressive aphasia patients were reported to have language-specific learning disabilities.
In one case, the primary progressive aphasia patient did not learn to read until about age 10, always had poor spelling, and was unable to learn a foreign language despite attempts to do so. All three of his children and both of his granddaughters were reported to have dyslexia. Only one of his sons was able to graduate from high school.
In another case, all three of the primary progressive aphasia patient's children had learning disabilities related to speech, reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, and learning language.
In the third case, the patient struggled with English, literature, and spelling, and received speech therapy early in life despite doing well in math and science. Of the patient's four children, two sons and a daughter were reported to have difficulty with spelling and one of the sons also had difficulty with reading.
All five siblings of another primary progressive aphasia patient were reported to have persistent difficulty with reading and spelling.
"These results suggest that learning disabilities may constitute a risk factor for primary progressive aphasia," the researchers said, "providing additional clues concerning the selective vulnerability in this syndrome."
Learning disabilities in these patients, they said, may be a marker for pre-existing developmental or acquired susceptibilities in language areas of the brain that are neurologically compensated but eventually become a focal point for degenerative disease that would have struck elsewhere if they had different susceptibilities.
Since the association was found for both personal and family history of learning disabilities, this risk factor may have "a genetic component that is developmentally expressed as dyslexia in some individuals and as a neurodegenerative disease, also affecting language, in others."
The findings may underestimate the frequency of learning disabilities in these patients because family and even personal history in this complex are likely to be incomplete, the researchers noted.
"In our clinical practice," they wrote, "we encounter many patients with primary progressive aphasia who report that spelling was never their 'strong suit' or that they could not learn new languages, but who would not have identified themselves as having a learning disorder."
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer's Disease Core Center, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.
Primary source: Archives of NeurologySource reference:Rogalski E, et al "Increased frequency of learning disability in patients with primary progressive aphasia and their first-degree relatives"Arch Neurol 2008; 65: 244-248.
College of Optometrists in Vision Development 42st Annual Meeting: Las Vegas
COVD 41st Annual Meeting October 25-29, 2011
Tropicana Las Vegas, Nevada
Preliminary Program
Abstract Submissions
Abstract submission deadline is June 10, 2011.
Exhibitors
Join us in Las Vegas for some networking and socializing.
Hotel Reservations
Online hotel reservations are available now.
ATTENTION: Students & Residents
A discounted rate is available for students & residents . Discounted rooms require double occupancy. Since student rooms are limited, please try to share a room with another student. To receive the student rate, you must contact COVD.
Student & Resident Travel Grants
This year up to 35 $200 grants are available for residents and students.
General Education Highlights
Session topic to be announced
Allen Cohen, OD, FCOVD
Myopia: Current Theories of Treatment and Treatment; and Intermittent Exotropia Based Upon Sensory Motor Findings
Jeffrey Cooper, MS, OD
Optometric Management of Patients who have Autism
Rachel (Stacey) Coulter, OD, FCOVD
Saccade Vergence Eye Movements: Development, Aging, and Dysfunction
Zoi Kapoula, PhD
Clinical Pearls in Development
W.C. Maples, OD, FCOVD
Learning Disabilities
Deborah Waber, PhD
Clinical Discussion Forum
Kellye Knueppel, OD, FCOVD
Brenda Montecalvo, OD, FCOVD
Applied Concepts - October 25 & 26, 2011
Acquired Brain Injury
Dr. Allen Cohen; Dr. Ken Ciuffreda, Dr. Neera Kapoor
Visual Information Acquisition
Dr. Carl Hillier
Therapy Techniques
Dr. W.C. Maples; Dr. Wanda Vaughn
Strabismus & Amblyopia
Dr. Robert Sanet
Learning Related Vision Problems
Dr. Nancy Torgerson
Annual Meeting Highlights
NEW - Social Media Workshop - October 26, 2011
Dr. Nate Bonilla Warford & Ruth Villeneuve
Joint COVD/OEP Symposium
19 Hours of Clinical Education Available
Vision Therapist Education Session
Dr. Sue Lowe & Lauri Atencio
Tropicana Las Vegas, Nevada
Preliminary Program
Abstract Submissions
Abstract submission deadline is June 10, 2011.
Exhibitors
Join us in Las Vegas for some networking and socializing.
Hotel Reservations
Online hotel reservations are available now.
ATTENTION: Students & Residents
A discounted rate is available for students & residents . Discounted rooms require double occupancy. Since student rooms are limited, please try to share a room with another student. To receive the student rate, you must contact COVD.
Student & Resident Travel Grants
This year up to 35 $200 grants are available for residents and students.
General Education Highlights
Session topic to be announced
Allen Cohen, OD, FCOVD
Myopia: Current Theories of Treatment and Treatment; and Intermittent Exotropia Based Upon Sensory Motor Findings
Jeffrey Cooper, MS, OD
Optometric Management of Patients who have Autism
Rachel (Stacey) Coulter, OD, FCOVD
Saccade Vergence Eye Movements: Development, Aging, and Dysfunction
Zoi Kapoula, PhD
Clinical Pearls in Development
W.C. Maples, OD, FCOVD
Learning Disabilities
Deborah Waber, PhD
Clinical Discussion Forum
Kellye Knueppel, OD, FCOVD
Brenda Montecalvo, OD, FCOVD
Applied Concepts - October 25 & 26, 2011
Acquired Brain Injury
Dr. Allen Cohen; Dr. Ken Ciuffreda, Dr. Neera Kapoor
Visual Information Acquisition
Dr. Carl Hillier
Therapy Techniques
Dr. W.C. Maples; Dr. Wanda Vaughn
Strabismus & Amblyopia
Dr. Robert Sanet
Learning Related Vision Problems
Dr. Nancy Torgerson
Annual Meeting Highlights
NEW - Social Media Workshop - October 26, 2011
Dr. Nate Bonilla Warford & Ruth Villeneuve
Joint COVD/OEP Symposium
19 Hours of Clinical Education Available
Vision Therapist Education Session
Dr. Sue Lowe & Lauri Atencio
Are Pediatricians Screening For Developmental Delays?
.... approximately half of the pediatricians reported that they do not routinely use the recommended screening tools for patients younger than 36 months. With growing evidence of the benefits of treatment, early screening is crucial to the identification of autism and other developmental disorders and intervention for these disorders....
Strength Of Synapses Prove Critical In The Process Of Learning And Memory
....ave a tough time remembering where you put your keys, learning a new language or recalling names at a cocktail party? New research from the Lisman Laboratory points to a molecule that is central to the process by which memories are stored in the brain. A paper published in the June 22 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience describes the new findings. ....
Predictors of Omega-3 Index in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
This article noted that: "The proportion of patients with a low omega-3 index increased with more frequent fast food intake..... In contrast, a low omega-3 index was less common among patients with more frequent fish intake ..... Fish intake, older age, race other than white, and omega-3 supplementation were independently associated with a higher omega-3 index, whereas frequent fast food intake, smoking, and diabetes mellitus were associated with a lower omega-3 index."
Comments: Omega-3s seem to be the next wonder drug....if you do not have enough...trouble in several areas seem to follow. Did you take your Omega-3s today? DM
Comments: Omega-3s seem to be the next wonder drug....if you do not have enough...trouble in several areas seem to follow. Did you take your Omega-3s today? DM
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Parents' Summer Safety Survival Kit
....Summer fun is in full swing, which coincides with an increase in bumps, bruises, scrapes and possibly worse. To keep kids safe, prevention and first-aid should be at the forefront of parents' minds this summer....
Brain Rhythm Associated With Learning Also Linked To Running Speed
...Rhythms in the brain that are associated with learning become stronger as the body moves faster, UCLA neurophysicists report in a new study.....
Comments: Optometrists, neuro-scientists, and others have recognized the importance of motor activity for neuroplasticity (learning) for decades. DM
Comments: Optometrists, neuro-scientists, and others have recognized the importance of motor activity for neuroplasticity (learning) for decades. DM
Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States
The researchers found that: "Approximately 245000 deaths in the United States in 2000 were attributable to low education, 176000 to racial segregation, 162000 to low social support, 133000 to individual-level poverty, 119000 to income inequality, and 39000 to area-level poverty."
Comment: I have not read the full article yet, just the abstract. I'm wondering how they determined "deaths" as caused by these various social factors. Can you die from being dumb? I am getting this article now for a full read through....stay tuned! DM
Comment: I have not read the full article yet, just the abstract. I'm wondering how they determined "deaths" as caused by these various social factors. Can you die from being dumb? I am getting this article now for a full read through....stay tuned! DM
Saturday, July 2, 2011
ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY NAMED SPECIAL OLYMPICS ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR
....Dr. Sandy Block and Dr. Christine Allison accepted the award on behalf of ICO at a reception held on June 10 before the Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at Illinois State University in Normal.
The Outstanding Organization Award recognizes a club, business or organization whose efforts have significantly improved the Special Olympics Illinois athletes’ experiences either locally or statewide.
ICO has volunteered its time and efforts to Special Olympics Illinois (SO ILL) for the past 11 years. It is because of ICO that the Opening Eyes program has become a part of SO ILL. The organization provides free eye screenings to an average of 240 athletes each year. They have handed out over 2,520 prescription glasses and 630 sports goggles so far....
Comments: Read more by clicking the title above. DM
Elsevier has some Great Journals. Take a look at these!
New Study Uncovers Mechanism For Stress-Induced Epigenetic Inheritance
....Researchers at RIKEN have uncovered a mechanism by which the effects of stress in the fly species Drosophila are inherited epigenetically over many generations through changes to the structure of chromatin, the material that makes up the cell nucleus. Published in the journal Cell, the results highlight the role of the transcription factor dATF-2 in chromatin assembly, marking a major advance in our understanding of non-Mendelian inheritance....
Comments: I am fascinated by epigenetics. The environment can make a permanent change in you DNA that is than transmitted to your offspring. This is more like Lamarckian inheritance....where an organism can pass on traits it developed via the environment. BTW up until recent history...there had been a major battle between Mendelian inheritance believers and those who believed in Lamarckian inheritance. It seems as if...both are valid! DM
Comments: I am fascinated by epigenetics. The environment can make a permanent change in you DNA that is than transmitted to your offspring. This is more like Lamarckian inheritance....where an organism can pass on traits it developed via the environment. BTW up until recent history...there had been a major battle between Mendelian inheritance believers and those who believed in Lamarckian inheritance. It seems as if...both are valid! DM
Infrared radiation has potential antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in animal model of depression and anxiety
The researchers found that: "Chronic infrared radiation exposure decreased indicators of depression- and anxiety-like behavior. No significant effect on general locomotor activity was observed. The number of BrdU-positive cells in CA1 of the hippocampus was significantly increased in both acutely and chronically exposed infrared radiation groups compared with the control group."
Comments: Optometry has been using light as therapy for some time. If you'd like more information about this go to the College of Syntonic Optometry to learn more. Please note that a great deal of research needs to be done in this area. We do know that using light as therapy goes back centuries, in fact Ben Franklin used to "sun bath" in all his sans-clothes glory to seek out the benefits of light. Today we use full spectrum lighting for depression, ultraviolet for jaundice in infants and LASERs for a wide variety of medical interventions. DM
Comments: Optometry has been using light as therapy for some time. If you'd like more information about this go to the College of Syntonic Optometry to learn more. Please note that a great deal of research needs to be done in this area. We do know that using light as therapy goes back centuries, in fact Ben Franklin used to "sun bath" in all his sans-clothes glory to seek out the benefits of light. Today we use full spectrum lighting for depression, ultraviolet for jaundice in infants and LASERs for a wide variety of medical interventions. DM
Invited Speaker:Vision's Impact on Learning Conference Learning Insights
The V. I. P. was developed by a team of behavioral optometrist including Dr. David Pierce, Dr. Ralph Garzia, Dr. David Coleman, and others from Missouri. The purpose of the program is to train school personnel to screen K - 3 students for vision challenges, provide tutoring at school for those that have issues and encourage parents to take their children to a behavioral optometrist for further help. They currently have 42 buildings with over 12,000 students involved with the program.
Members of this group who do the screening and tutoring for the program must be re-certified and the conference I will talking at is the main vehicle to accomplish that goal. They also reach out to administrators, special education coordinators, physical and occupational therapist to share information about vision and ways to help students develop their vision skills. For more information go to www.goodvision4all.org.
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