Nystagmus in pediatric patients: interventions and patient-focused perspectives

Kimberly Penix,1 Mark W Swanson,1 Dawn K DeCarlo1,2 1School of Optometry, 2Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Abstract: Nystagmus refers to involuntary, typically conjugate, often rhythmic oscillations of the eyes. The most common cause of nystagmus in children is infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS). INS presents within the first few months of life and is sometimes accompanied by an ocular condition associated with sensory impairment. Because this condition affects a person throughout life, it is important to understand the options available to manage it. This review focuses on the underlying nystagmus etiology, psychosocial and functional effects of nystagmus, as well as current principles of management, including optical, pharmacological, surgical, and rehabilitative options. Currently, the neural mechanisms underlying INS are not fully understood. Treatment options are designed to increase foveation duration or correct anomalous head postures; however, evidence is limited to mainly pre- and post-study designs with few objective comparisons of treatment strategies. Management of INS should be individualized. The decision on which treatment is best suited for a particular patient lies with the patient and his/her physician. Keywords: nystagmus, infantile nystagmus syndrome, vision impairment, pediatric, quality of lif

An overview and early results from the HOMEChem indoor air chemistry field campaign

The HOMEChem (House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry) is a collaborative indoor air chemistry field study to be performed in June 2018 at the UTest House, a manufactured research house located in the University of Texas at Austin's research campus. The HOMEChem experiment investigates the effects of building occupants and their activities, such as cooking and cleaning, on the chemistry of the gas phase, particle phase, and surfaces in a simulated home environment. Specifically, this study focuses on the presence of organic species, chemical oxidants, and reactive nitrogen species indoors compared to outdoor levels. This study incorporates state-of the art atmospheric chemistry instrumentation from multiple research groups to build a shared dataset from those measurements

An overview and early results from the HOMEChem indoor air chemistry field campaign

The HOMEChem (House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry) is a collaborative indoor air chemistry field study to be performed in June 2018 at the UTest House, a manufactured research house located in the University of Texas at Austin's research campus. The HOMEChem experiment investigates the effects of building occupants and their activities, such as cooking and cleaning, on the chemistry of the gas phase, particle phase, and surfaces in a simulated home environment. Specifically, this study focuses on the presence of organic species, chemical oxidants, and reactive nitrogen species indoors compared to outdoor levels. This study incorporates state-of the art atmospheric chemistry instrumentation from multiple research groups to build a shared dataset from those measurements

Overview of HOMEChem: House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry.

The House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) study is a collaborative field investigation designed to probe how everyday activities influence the emissions, chemical transformations and removal of trace gases and particles in indoor air. Sequential and layered experiments in a research house included cooking, cleaning, variable occupancy, and window-opening. This paper describes the overall design of HOMEChem and presents preliminary case studies investigating the concentrations of reactive trace gases, aerosol particles, and surface films. Cooking was a large source of VOCs, CO2, NOx, and particles. By number, cooking particles were predominantly in the ultrafine mode. Organic aerosol dominated the submicron mass, and, while variable between meals and throughout the cooking process, was dominated by components of hydrocarbon character and low oxygen content, similar to cooking oil. Air exchange in the house ensured that cooking particles were present for only short periods. During unoccupied background intervals, particle concentrations were lower indoors than outdoors. The cooling coils of the house ventilation system induced cyclic changes in water soluble gases. Even during unoccupied periods, concentrations of many organic trace gases were higher indoors than outdoors, consistent with housing materials being potential sources of these compounds to the outdoor environment. Organic material accumulated on indoor surfaces, and exhibited chemical signatures similar to indoor organic aerosol

Overview of HOMEChem: House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry.

The House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) study is a collaborative field investigation designed to probe how everyday activities influence the emissions, chemical transformations and removal of trace gases and particles in indoor air. Sequential and layered experiments in a research house included cooking, cleaning, variable occupancy, and window-opening. This paper describes the overall design of HOMEChem and presents preliminary case studies investigating the concentrations of reactive trace gases, aerosol particles, and surface films. Cooking was a large source of VOCs, CO2, NOx, and particles. By number, cooking particles were predominantly in the ultrafine mode. Organic aerosol dominated the submicron mass, and, while variable between meals and throughout the cooking process, was dominated by components of hydrocarbon character and low oxygen content, similar to cooking oil. Air exchange in the house ensured that cooking particles were present for only short periods. During unoccupied background intervals, particle concentrations were lower indoors than outdoors. The cooling coils of the house ventilation system induced cyclic changes in water soluble gases. Even during unoccupied periods, concentrations of many organic trace gases were higher indoors than outdoors, consistent with housing materials being potential sources of these compounds to the outdoor environment. Organic material accumulated on indoor surfaces, and exhibited chemical signatures similar to indoor organic aerosol