By Mary Harbin
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine are the first to discover a consistent method to measure and quantify blood flow to the optic nerve and optic disc, information that may revolutionize the treatment of glaucoma.
Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States, was thought for 100 years to be caused by pressure buildup in the eye. Research now shows that nearly 60 percent of individuals with glaucoma have normal eye pressure. Since that discovery considerable research has focused on circulation in the eye as a possible contributing cause for the disease. During the past 10 years, researchers have developed the precision instruments necessary to measure and quantify blood flow to the retina. But, until recent research at IU, the procedures for measuring blood flow to the minute optic disc and optic nerve remained elusive.
By developing special software and customizing a laser optical system, Alon Harris, director of the Glaucoma Research and Diagnostic Center at IU, and his team were able to utilize an argon laser to scan the most tiny vessels in the eye, measure the blood flow and quantify the circulation to the optic nerve, disc and retina. An infrared laser and dye are used to measure deeper into the eye, penetrating the choroid which is located behind the retina and optic nerve and a major site of blood flow to the eye. Previously, researchers were unable to accurately quantify blood flow in these vessels.
Harris, who is an associate professor of ophthalmology and of physiology and biophysics at the IU School of Medicine, said the discovery could lead to the restoration or improvement of vision in some glaucoma patients.
The tools used also may be applicable in the treatment of eye diseases caused by diabetes and AIDS.
Related Link:
http://medicine.indiana.iupui.edu/pressreleases/glaucoma.htm
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