Just Cut It Out

Why should we care about trees? Social, Economic, and Environmental benefits

Retinal and choroidal thickness in early age-related macular degeneration

Purpose: To compare retinal thickness and choroidal thickness at increasing retinal eccentricity in individuals with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and in healthy controls using enhanced choroidal penetration, 3-dimensional optical coherence tomography at 1060 nm. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Individuals with early AMD (n = 16; mean age, 71.6 ± 8.5 years) and a comparison group of healthy controls (n = 16; 67.6 ± 5.4 years) were recruited. Three-dimensional (20 degrees × 20 degrees) long-wavelength optical coherence tomography (1060 nm) images (approximately 8-μm axial resolution; 47 000 A scans/second, centered on the fovea) were obtained from all participants after pupil dilation. Retinal thickness was measured between the inner limiting membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium. Choroidal thickness was measured between the retinal pigment epithelium and the choroid–scleral interface. Thickness measurements were obtained subfoveally and at 0.5-mm intervals to a maximum of 2.0 mm nasally, temporally, superiorly, and inferiorly. The main outcome measures were retinal and choroidal thickness (measured in micrometers) at different eccentricities on vertical and horizontal meridians. Results: Mean retinal thickness was reduced significantly in the group of participants with early AMD compared with the control group at multiple locations within 2.0 mm of the fovea. This difference was most significant at the fovea, where the mean retinal thickness of the early AMD group was 179 ± 27 μm and that of the control group was 202 ± 18 μm (P = .008). There was no significant difference in choroidal thickness between groups at any location. Conclusions: Retinal thickness is reduced in early AMD, but choroidal thickness seems to be unaffected by the early disease process

Separation Anxiety, Attachment, and Sensory Status: Are Deaf Dogs More Attached to Their Human?

Traditionally, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and breed specific clubs (Dalmation Club of America; Australian Shepherd Club of America) advocated the immediate euthanasia of HVI dogs. Folklore held that these dogs were untrainable, aggressive and made poor family pets (Strain, 2011). Research in our lab (Farmer-Dougan, et al., 2014; Farmer-Dougan, 2017) has shown that these dogs can, indeed, be trained. As a result, the AKC and breed clubs have started to change their policies. However, little is known about the appropriate way to train these dogs, or how and why behavior problems may develop that are specific to this population. Our research suggest that these dogs may be more prone to higher attachment and separation anxiety. The present project will examine the form of attachment and behaivors related to the three main attachment types. Understanding differences in attachment between HVI and NHV dogs, if they exist, will allow trainers and behaviorists to develop improved training and intervention methods