Category Archives: Retinitis Pigmentosa

By Lisa M. Krieger lkrieger@mercurynews.com A brighter ray of hope is on the horizon for the blind, as scientists improve electronic hardware that creates sight -- making it possible, they predict, to read printed text, recognize faces and lead normal, independent lives. At the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in San Jose, researchers on Friday described innovations in bionic vision, such as prototype prosthetics, "smart glasses" and telescopic contact lenses -- all potential advances of today's artificial retinas, which produce only sketchy, high-contrast imagery. "Retinal implants have moved from sci-fi into reality over the last few years," said Daniel Palanker, physicist and professor of ophthalmology at Stanford University. He is working on a retinal prosthesis that works like solar panels on a roof, converting light from goggles into electric current to trigger signals in the retina which then flow to the brain. "Now we are in the race of improving resolution, improving image processing, dynamic range (of light intensity) and levels of gray -- and will keep improving," he said. For people like Palo Alto attorney Dean Lloyd, improvements are long overdue. With his 7-year-old implants, made by the Sylmar biotech company Second Sight Medical Products Inc., … Continue reading →

76-year-old Cedar Hills man creates great art despite being blind By Arianne Brown, KSL.com Contributor February 13th, 2015 @ 10:31am CEDAR HILLS Bert Eastmond, 76, reached into his drawer of art supplies, picked out a dark blue tile, and carefully carved it into a small rectangle. He then grouted it and placed it amid other blue tiles, completing the night sky above Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in his mosaic depiction of the Nativity. He ran his hands over the tiles, to make sure each was in place, and when they were, he held it up for his oldest son, Mark, to see. It looks perfect, Dad, he said. Mark then gently took the mosaic from his dad so that he could frame it for others to see. Bert, however, would never have the chance to see his artwork he is blind. At the age of 16, Bert Eastmond, who was also born with a 70 percent hearing loss, was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition, called retinitis pigmentosa, and was told that it would be a matter of years before his sight would be completely gone. Devastated, but not defeated, Eastmond went on to serve a two-year LDS … Continue reading →

Retinitis Pigmentosa: He got back Driving License after 2 years treatment For more information or to book an appointment, please contact : tel:1-877-737-7876 toll free (Canada and US only)1-604-737-7876 (International) e-mail: well... By: Weidong Yu … Continue reading →

Not Seeing Stars Anymore: An Usher Syndrome Journey from Grief to Using Imagination Acceptance Christine "Coco" Roschaert shares her experience living with Usher Syndrome/Retinitis Pigmentosa and going through these moments when she realized she could not see stars anymore and went ... By: Coco Roschaert … Continue reading →

RP History founded by Helen Harris DescriptionRP International was established 40 years ago to find and fund the cure for Retinitis Pigmentosa and related degenerative eye diseases. The non-pr... By: RPInternational1972 … Continue reading →

13:12 20 January 2015 Rebecca Day Chloe did a sponsored silence to raise money for charity Archant A schoolgirl who suffers a condition which means she will end up deaf and blind has completed a sponsored silence for charity. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Chloe Reed from Royston was born deaf and was diagnosed with usher syndrome last year when she complained she was struggling to see at night. The syndrome causes retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative condition affecting eyesight. The 15-year-olds mum Elizabeth, who she lives with in Melbourn Road. said: We went to the opticians and they ran some tests. It was a bit of a shock to find out, as I thought the deafness was caused by septicaemia when I was pregnant. But Chloe was really brave when she heard the news. Chloe decided she wanted to raise money for the nationwide sight loss charity RP Fighting Blindness in any way she could and so last week took part in a sponsored silence at Knightsfield School in Welwyn Garden City, which specialises in teaching deaf children. Link: Deaf Royston girl hosts sponsored silence for the … Continue reading →

A team of researchers have discovered a new gene tied to an incurable eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa. The retina converts images into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain. It acts much like the film in a camera. Retinitis pigmentosa damages this film (the retina) and its early symptoms include decreased night vision and peripheral vision. Once it starts, the loss of vision is relentlessly progressive, often ending in blindness. UTHealth's Stephen P. Daiger, Ph.D., and his colleagues report their discovery of a new gene tied to retinitis pigmentosa, which brings the total of genes associated with this sight-threatening disease to more than 60. The gene is called hexokinase 1 (HK1). Richard S. Ruiz, M.D., professor of ophthalmology and holder of the John S. Dunn Distinguished University Chair in Ophthalmology at UTHealth, said that Daiger is trying to make a breakthrough in potentially blinding diseases with no known treatments. There are different types of retinitis pigmentosa and Daiger's laboratory is focused on the autosomal dominant type. This means that only one parent needs the mutation in order to pass the disease to a child and this type accounts for about a third of all cases and many … Continue reading →

An exhaustive hereditary analysis of a large Louisiana family with vision issues has uncovered a new gene tied to an incurable eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, according to an examination led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). It is a family of eye diseases that affects more than 200,000 in the United States and millions worldwide The retina converts images into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain. It acts much like the film in a camera. Retinitis pigmentosa damages this film (the retina) and its early symptoms include decreased night vision and peripheral vision. Once it starts, the loss of vision is relentlessly progressive, often ending in blindness. In the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, UTHealth's Stephen P. Daiger, Ph.D., and his colleagues report their discovery of a new gene tied to retinitis pigmentosa, which brings the total of genes associated with this sight-threatening disease to more than 60. The gene is called hexokinase 1 (HK1). This information is important because it helps affected families cope with the disorder, helps explain the biologic basis of these diseases and suggests targets for drug treatments and gene therapy, said Daiger, the … Continue reading →

Diane Faust was accustomed to living at 100 mph, as she puts it. She reared two daughters. She helped run an insurance agency. She cooked and drove and shopped. An inherited disease, retinitis pigmentosa, drained much of her eyesight during the past couple of years, forcing Faust, 52, of West Mifflin to quit her job and ask herself a soul-jarring question: What does the world do with people like me? I don't have the independence of getting in the car and running to the store for something. You need to learn to rely on other people, asking for help. Sometimes that's difficult, she said. Faust is among 20 percent of sight-impaired people for whom doctors have not found a cure or effective prevention. A whole-eye transplant pursued by a Pittsburgh-based international research team could deliver hope for millions of them, including people blind since birth. For the time being, Faust said, it's frustrating to explain to her family that doctors simply cannot fix her eyes. But guidance from Blind and Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and a return to school at Community College of Allegheny County are helping her to find footing and gain confidence. The way I looked at it, … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise An exhaustive hereditary analysis of a large Louisiana family with vision issues has uncovered a new gene tied to an incurable eye disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, according to an examination led by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). It is a family of eye diseases that affects more than 200,000 in the United States and millions worldwide The retina converts images into electrical signals that can be processed by the brain. It acts much like the film in a camera. Retinitis pigmentosa damages this film (the retina) and its early symptoms include decreased night vision and peripheral vision. Once it starts, the loss of vision is relentlessly progressive, often ending in blindness. In the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, UTHealths Stephen P. Daiger, Ph.D., and his colleagues report their discovery of a new gene tied to retinitis pigmentosa, which brings the total of genes associated with this sight-threatening disease to more than 60. The gene is called hexokinase 1 (HK1). This information is important because it helps affected families cope with the disorder, helps explain the biologic basis of these diseases and suggests targets for … Continue reading →