Assessing Structure and Function in Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of optic nerve diseases sharing an accelerated degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that, if untreated, leads to progressive and irreversible loss of visual function. Worldwide, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Of the many types of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is probably the most common one in Western countries. Probably less than half of all people who have the disease are aware of it

The relationship between standard automated perimetry and GDx VCC measurements

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between retinal light sensitivity measured with standard automated perimetr

Automated detection of wedge-shaped defects in polarimetric images of the retinal nerve fibre layer

Purpose: Automated glaucoma detection in images obtained by scanning laser polarimetry is currently insensitive to local abnormalities, impairing its performance. The purpose of this investigation was to tes

Partitioning the Heritability of Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Reveals Differences in Genetic Architecture

The direct estimation of heritability from genome-wide common variant data as implemented in the program Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) has provided a means to quantify heritability attributable to all interrogated variants. We have quantified the variance in liability to disease explained

Microprocessor implemented self validation of thick-film PZT/Silicon accelerometer

This paper describes a piezoelectric micromachined silicon accelerometer fabricated using a combination of thick-film printing and silicon micromachining and introduces a microprocessor implemented self validation routine for the device. The thick-film printed PZT elements act as sensors detecting the deflections of the inertial mass and also as actuators capable of performing a self-test routine. The self validation procedure is performed at resonance and therefore a microprocessor is used to identify the resonant frequency associated with each device and confirm the operation of the PZT elements. Whilst this approach is certainly feasible, its implementation could be simplified by reducing the cross talk between drive and detection elements and altering the geometry of the accelerometer. The performance of the device demonstrates the suitability of thick-film printed piezoelectrics for this type of application

A view from the clinic - Perspectives from Dutch patients and professionals on high myopia care.

PURPOSE: To understand and compare perspectives of patients and professionals on current ophthalmologic care for high myopia, and to identify challenges and future opportunities. METHODS: Self-reported data were collected through two online questionnaires. Patient perspective was obtained from highly myopic members of a patient organisation based in the Netherlands using a 17-item questionnaire consisting of open and multiple-choice questions regarding personal experience with myopia care. The ophthalmologist perspective was obtained from practising Dutch ophthalmologists with a 12-item questionnaire of multiple-choice questions on work-related demographics, myopia care in daily practice and need for improvement. The response rate for patients was 27% (n = 136/500) and for ophthalmologists, 24% (n = 169/716). RESULTS: Patients were highly concerned about personal progressive loss of vision (69%) and feared their psychological well-being (82%) in case this would happen. The quality of performance of care provided by ophthalmologists was rated as excellent or satisfactory by 64% of the patients. These ratings for multidisciplinary care and insurance reimbursement were as low as 28% and 18% respectively. The mean concern among ophthalmologists about the rise in high myopia was 6.9 (SEM 0.1) on a 10-point scale. Sixty-nine per cent of the ophthalmologists reported that asymptomatic myopic patients should not be examined regularly at outpatient clinics. Ophthalmologists urged the development of clinical guidelines (74%), but did report (95%) that they informed patients about risk factors and complications. This contrasted with the view of patients, of whom 42% were discontent with information provided by ophthalmologists. CONCLUSIONS: These questionnaires demonstrated that the current clinical care delivered to highly myopic patients is in need of improvement. The expected higher demand for myopia care in the near future requires preferred practice patterns, professionals specifically trained to manage myopic pathology, accurate and comprehensive information exchange and collaboration of in- and out-of-hospital professionals across the full eye care chain

A framework for assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes by using smartphone-based location data

The use of smartphone-based location data to quantify behavior longitudinally and passively is rapidly gaining traction in neuropsychiatric research. However, a standardized and validated preprocessing framework for deriving behavioral phenotypes from smartphone-based location data is currently lacking. Here, we present a preprocessing framework consisting of methods that are validated in the context of geospatial data. This framework aims to generate context-enriched location data by identifying stationary, non-stationary, and recurrent stationary states in movement patterns. Subsequently, this context-enriched data is used to derive a series of behavioral phenotypes that are related to movement. By using smartphone-based location data collected from 245 subjects, including patients with schizophrenia, we show that the proposed framework is effective and accurate in generating context-enriched location data. This data was subsequently used to derive behavioral readouts that were sensitive in detecting behavioral nuances related to schizophrenia and aging, such as the time spent at home and the number of unique places visited. Overall, our results indicate that the proposed framework reliabl