Ametropia, Preschoolers’ Cognitive Abilities, and Effects of Spectacle Correction

...Preschoolers with uncorrected ametropia had significant reduction in visual-motor function. Wearing spectacles for 6 weeks improved Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration scores to emmetropic levels.... DM

Comments: Bottom line....have your children's eyes examined early by a developmental optometrist. We pay attention to not only your refractive error but also your visual development as well.

Double Vision Discussed on The Doctors TV Show

Do you have double vision? Check out what the Doctors say....an interview with Dr. Elise Brisco, an optometric colleague and Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.

This would be funny...if it wasn't so sadly true.

An ophthalmologist explains the medical point of view about vision and learning by Dr. Dan Lack. See http://mainosmemos.blogspot.com/search?q=american+academy+of+pediatrics for more information.

Click here to see photos from the 2010 COVD Meeting

Research supported by COVD and the Schools and Colleges of Optometry

One of my colleagues on ODWire said that the schools and colleges of optometry, COVD and other organizations do not support research in optometric vision therapy....well, of course this poor fellow was mistaken. Duriig the recent College of Optometrists in Vision Development 2010 meeting the following papers, posters and presentations were made....note that not only did the NIH support one of these papers with a grant, but that many schools/colleges of optometry supported this research as well, as the AOA, private companies, private practitioners and more!

Research, case reports, papers and poster presentations at the annual 2010 COVD meeting were presented by optometrists from around the world. Many of these were supported by COVD, the Schools and Colleges of Optometry, AOA, NIH and other organizations. The research is there if you look.

Watch for the publication of Optometry & Vision Development vol 41 #4 for the complete abstracts at http://www.covd.org/Home/OVDJournal/tabid/104/Default.aspx

VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIAL EVIDENCE THAT MAGNO-PARVOCELLULAR INTEGRATION TRAINING CAUSES - NEURAL REORGANIZATION IN READING DISABLED CHILDREN John Shelley-Tremblay - Associate Professor of Psychology, The University of South Alabama

OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS OF READING SPEED AND EFFICIENCY IMPROVE IN CHILDREN FOLLOWING VISION THERAPY: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS Barry Tannen, OD, FCOVD - SUNY/State College of Optometry: Noah Tannen - Pre-Optometry Student, Lafayette College:Kenneth J Ciuffreda, OD, PhD, FCOVD-A -Distinguished Professor, SUNY/State College of Optometry

VERGENCE STRESS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS READING RATE Maureen Powers PhD, FCOVD-A, FAAO; Gary Miner and Yoshie Morita, MA - Gemstone Foundation

INFANTSEE®: NEW INSIGHT INTO THE OVERALL VISION HEALTH OF INFANTS IN THE USA; CAUSES FOR CONCERN AND NEED FOR VISION DEVELOPMENT Mark Schwartz, MPH; Glen Steele, OD, FCOVD - Southern College of Optometry

WOLD COPY TEST PERFORMANCE USING THREE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION PROTOCOLS Hannu Laukkanen,OD; Suzanne Tsang, OD; John R Hayes, PhD - Pacific University College of Optometry

VISUAL SKILLS AND READING:SYMPTOMS AND FLUENCY Yoshie Morita, MA; Robert Hoffman, EdD; Maureen Powers, PhD, FCOVD-A, FAAO; - Gemstone Foundation

CASE REPORT: VISUAL BIOFEEDBACK IN THE TREATMENT OF CONGENITAL NYSTAGMUS Ira Strenger, OD; Barry Tannen, OD, FCOVD - Associate Clinical Professor, SUNY/State College of Optometry

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COVDQOL AND ATTENTION DISORDERS AS MEASURED BY THE TEST OF VARIABLE ATTENTION (TOVA): A PILOT STUDY Allison Lyerly; Stephanie McLin; Marc Taub OD, FCOVD - Southern College of Optometry

CRITICAL FLICKER FREQUENCY IS REDUCED IN PATIENTS WITH SELF REPORTED READING DISABILITY Barry Tannen, OD, FCOVD; Kenneth J Ciuffreda, OD, PhD, FCOVD-A - Distinguished Teaching Professor, SUNY/State College of Optometry

INTERACTION OF DYNAMIC ACCOMMODATION AND SUSTAINED VISUAL ATTENTION. Dmitri V. Poltavski, PhD; David H. Biberdorf, OD, FCOVD - Valley Vision Clinic; Dr. Thomas V. Petros, PhD - University of North Dakota

OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF DYNAMIC ACCOMMODATION IN A CHILD WITH ACCOMMODATIVE INSUFFICIENCY - A CASE STUDY Tomohito Okumura, MSOptom, MEd, FAAP, FCOVD-I - Osaka Medical College LD Center; Eiji Wakamiya MD, PhD - Osaka Medical College, Department of Pediatrics, Aino University, Faculty of Nursing and Rehabilitations; Hannu Laukkanen, OD, MEd, FAAO - Pacific University, College of Optometry; Hiroshi Tamai MD PhD - Osaka Medical College, LD Center & Department of Pediatrics

ADVANCED OPTOMETRIC TREATMENT MODALITIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ACQUIRED CASE CYCLOROTARY NYSTAGMUS M.H. Esther Han, OD, FCOVD; Allen Cohen, OD, FAAO, FCOVD; Barry Tannen, OD, FAAO, FCOVD - SUNY College of Optometry

TREATMENT OF HIGH ANISEIKONIA IN ADOLESCENTS WITH HIGH VISUAL DEMAND: A CASE SERIES Kelly Meehan, OD; Erin Jenewein, OD - Nova Southeastern University

USING VAN-ORDEN STARS TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF VISION THERAPY IN ADULT STRABISMIC PATIENTS Mary Bartuccio, OD, FAAO, FCOVD - Assistant Professor, NOVA Southeastern University

FUNCTIONAL VISION EXAM RESULTS FROM A HIGH SCHOOL IN INNER-CITY MILWAUKEE Kellye Knueppel, OD, FCOVD; Maureen Powers, PhD, FCOVD-A, FAAO - Gemstone Foundation

CASE OF SUCCESS USING VISION THERAPY IN THE INDUSTRY CUEROS INDUSTRIALIZADOS DEL BAJIO, S.A. DE C.V. (CUINBA) Guadalupe Funes; Naya Ma. Díaz; Luis Enrique Mongeloz

THE EFFECT OF LOW PLUS LENSES ON AN ASPERGER’S PATIENT WITH MILD GAZE AVOIDANCE Janette D. Dumas, OD - Assistant Professor, Southern College of Optometry

EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL EYE MOVEMENT TEST IN PATIENTS WITH RIGHT-TO-LEFT READING PATTERNS Tybee Eleff, OD; Daniella Rutner, OD; Rimma Kapatsinskaya - SUNY State University of New York

OPTOMETRIC VISION THERAPY’S ROLE IN REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY SYNDROME (RSDS) Mehrnaz Azimi Green, OD, FCOVD

COMPARISON OF SYMPTOMS AND OBJECTIVE READING DATA AFTER TREATMENT BY TINTED LENSES Dustin Dixon, MS; Third Year Optometry Student, W.C. Maples, OD, FCOVD - Professor of Optometry, SCO; Richard Hoenes, MS -Statistician, Northeastern State University; Marc Taub, OD, FCOVD - Professor of Optometry, SCO

PRISM AND VISION REHABILITATION TO TREAT POST-OPERATIVE EPILEPTIC PATIENT Melissa A Zarn, OD; Hannu Laukkanen, OD -Pacific University College of Optometry

PROVIDING PEDIATRIC VISION CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY : A REPORT ON THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, SCHOOL OF OPTOMETRY, EXTERNAL PEDIATRIC PROGRAM Lisa W. Christian, BSc, OD - Professor, University of Waterloo, College of Optometry

OPTOMETRIC VISION THERAPY AS A TREAMENT FOR ACQUIRED NONCOMITANT DEVIATIONS Ann M. Nolan, OD; Debbie Luk, OD; M.H. Esther Han, OD; Allen Cohen, OD; Steven Shaby, OD - SUNY State College of Optometry

Acupuncture Changes Brain's Perception And Processing Of Pain

.....Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have captured pictures of the brain while patients experienced a pain stimulus with and without acupuncture to determine acupuncture's effect on how the brain processes pain. Results of the study, which the researchers say suggest the effectiveness of acupuncture,...

Optometrists and Neuro-scientists Express Support for Vision Therapy

This article in the St. Louis Beacon is entiled , "Ophthalmologists express skepticism about vision therapy" but could have just as easily been titled: "Optometrists and Neuro-scientists Express Support for Vision Therapy". I guess negative titles generate more interest.

Overall it is pretty even handed....and it noted that "to most ophthalmologists, the eye is a camera and the brain is a computer. To developmental optometrists and the neurobiologists described here, the eyes and the brain are a system." The eye, brain, and body all have to work together to get the job done. OMDs see the eye as a single structure....developmental optometrists knows that we use our vision as a united system that must function appropriately to be successful.....and we recognize that the brain can be altered to do this using optometric vision therapy (BTW the research in neuroplasticity supports this as well.)

It's interesting to note that no ophthalmologist has training in vision therapy and yet many feel qualified to comment on its effectiveness...sad really. It's like asking your MD to diagnose and fix your automobile. Your MD says one thing about what needs to be done....and your mechanic says something else...who are you going to believe?

If you type in "strabismus surgery outcomes" in the search box to the upper left....you will see that our ophthalmologist colleagues should not throw stones when they live in glass surgical suites! DM

ABO Board Certification Examination Overview

ABO Board Certification Examination Overview Published Today!

General Practice (160 items)

The core of the examination is based in the following ten areas of general practice.

1. Ametropia/OphthalmicOptics(16%)

2. Pediatrics/BinocularVision/VisionTherapy(8%)

3. ContactLenses(13%)

4. Anterior Segment(15%)

5. Pre-and Post-operativecare(7%)

6. PosteriorSegment(12%)

7. OpticNerve/Glaucoma(12%)

8. Neuro-OphthalmicDisorders(5%)

9. VisionRehabilitation(5%)

10.Systemic Health (7%)

Areas of Emphasis (80 items)

In addition to the core examination, each candidate will select two of the following areas of emphasis, each of which will consist of an additional 40 items.

1. AdditionalGeneralPractice

2. ContactLenses

3. Pediatrics/BinocularVision/VisionTherapy

4. OcularDiseaseAnterior

5. Ocular Disease Posterior

6. VisionRehabilitation/LowVision/Neuro-OphthalmicRehabilitation

The computer based examination will be administered at Prometric Test Centers worldwide.

IPads and Autism

Comments: More IPad programs for children with autism. Click on the title above to hear one mom's story. DM

Study finds binocular vision anomalies common among elderly

...A retrospective study of 500 patient files showed that binocular vision anomalies had a prevalence of at least 42% in patients 60 and older.....

Comments: I had a chance to briefly talk gto the researchers about their findings at the American Academy of Optometry meeting....we both agreed...that it was about time we started paying attention to binocular vision function in those of us who are chronologically enhanced! Can't wait to see this one published. DM

10 Examples of Human Laterality

Information on handedness, footedness (is this a word?), ocular dominance, facial asymmetry, aural asymmetry, and more! Click on the title above for additional information. DM

ICO in the News

Those with a connection to the Illinois College of Optometry have been in the news lately.

In Women in Optometry:
64% of our entering class are women
Dr. Sandra Bury and her associates Drs.  Narbone and Luty on getting into practice
Dr. Amy Abbott about making connections
Dr. Marylin Brenne-Heinke honored by the Wisconsin state association

In New OD:
Dr. Mary Lou French on fitting kids with contact lenses
Dr. Neil Gailmard interviewed about technology

In Review of Optometry & Optometric Management:
Dr. Richard Kattouf on practice management
Dr. Renee Reeder and Valerie Kattouf on fitting children with contact lenses.

Beloit College Magazine:
Dr. Dominick Maino regarding his photographic exhibition at Casa Italia.

Optometry: Still Recognized as a Great Profession

Money Magazine noted that Optometry was a great profession....yet again!

Optometry ranks in the 20th highest paying jobs with a median income of $108,000, has a projected 10 year growth rate of 30% and is ranked 10th in the least stressful jobs category.

Did I pick a wonderful profession or what!?

If you want to become an optometrist go http://www.ico.edu/admissions/  for more info!  DM

Changing Brains: Attention

Changing Brains: Motor

Changing Brains: Vision

Visual Tracking and Academic Performance - Part 1

I may have already posted this once....but this is a good read...so even if I did post it once and you read it...well, just do it again and enjoy it even more the second time around! DM

Spatial Localization in Esotropia: Does Extraretinal Eye Position Information Change?

... the pointing responses to the central target shifted in the direction of the nonsquinting eye when deviations were manifest. ....

Docs Organize to Promote Unproven Therapies They Believe In

...(Medical) Doctors have always provided treatments that did not have a track record in randomized, controlled trials. Often they've provided such treatments without any serious intent of obtaining scientific validation...

Comments: One more example where medicine does not expect of themselves that it expects from others. DM

American Academy of Pediatrics report on Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Vision: Hypocrisy, Duplicity & Double Standards

Joseph Manley, MD a physician and medical-legal expert witness states that , “The conclusions (particularly the failure to recommend optometric vision therapy for children likely to benefit from it) of the American Academy of Pediatrics report on Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Vision are based on exclusion of the most relevant data and inconsistent application of the Academy’s stated criteria for selecting evidence. They fail to acknowledge abundant published and anecdotal evidence supporting the use of vision therapy. This overlooked evidence includes controlled trials, observational studies, case reports and consensus of experts - the same kinds of data that underpin the daily practice of medical professionals.”

Comments: It is important that all understand how the AAP statement is false in so many ways. Go to Dr. Dan Lack's Facebook page Retract the Joint Medical Statement trivializing vision problems in kids to learn more. Also see

http://visionhelp.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/vt-lack-ljs-rebuttal-in-optometry-oct-2010.pdf

http://covdblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/where-is-the-evidence/

http://www.children-special-needs.org/parenting/dyslexia_dyslexic.html

http://www.simplybrainy.com/07.%20Learning%20Disabilities,%20Dyslexia%20and%20Vision.pdf

http://www.add-adhd.org/vision_therapy_studies.html

DM

ICO at Medfest

Many ICO faculty, students, administrators, staff and alumni participated in the Medfest event held at the United Center in Chicago this fall. Kudos to Dr. Melissa Sigler for putting all this together. The task is now to answer the question: "Where's Maino". I had to say "Where's Maino" because the fellow who took most of these pictures is named Waldo....and since he is behind the camera, finding him would be most difficult. DM

Vision Revision For ADHD Diagnosis

.....It may be common, but the stats are still staggering. Last year, 4.5 million U.S. kids were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. That’s more than seven percent of all children in the U.S.  But a new study shows more than one million of those kids may be misdiagnosed....."One of the questions we ask parents is to decide whether it's an organic attention problem or maybe more related to a vision problem," Daniel Press, O.D., a developmental optometrist at Family Eyecare Associates, explained. ....Exams found Katy's eyes didn't work well together, the words moved and turned blurry. She decided to kick-off eight months of vision therapy. Vision Therapy consists of a workout using computer gaming, training the brain to use both eyes together.....

When seeing is believing: Advocates of vision therapy

.....After eight weekly sessions of vision therapy exercises, and daily practice of those exercises at home, Nicky's eye strength had increased from the 5th percentile to the 50th. After another eight weeks, he was in the 90th percentile, and he stopped office visits. He continued to do the exercises at home, and began to read enthusiastically -- once he discovered Harry Potter.

Today, four years later, Nicky is a straight A student taking advanced coursework. His mother says vision therapy was "the turning point" for him.......