Earl Smith - US grants

Both strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia are characterized by a reduction in visual acuity, however, recent psychophysical investigations of human amblyopes have revealed substantial differences in the visual characteristics of these two types of amblyopia. Although monkeys reared with either artificially-induced anisometropia or strabismus exhibit reduced spatial resolving capacities, it has not been deteremined if the visual characteristics of these amblyopic monkeys are similar to those manifested by humans with these two types of amblyopia. In the proposed study rhesus monkeys will be subjected to three rearing procedures (optically-induced anisometropia, optically-induced strabismus, and surgically-induced exotropia) which have previously been shown to produce a clinically-representative degree of amblyopia. Psychophysical techniques will be used to determine the effects of these rearing procedures on the monkeys' 1) spatiotemporal transfer function, 2) letter acuity as a function of the degree of contour interaction (i.e., "crowding"), and 3) spatial sense for suprathreshold stimuli (vernier acuity and displacement thresholds). These behavioral investigations will determine the adequacy of these animals as models for strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia. Subsequently, occlusion thereapy will be initiated in some experimental monkeys to determine if any of the induced abnormalities can be remediated. Histological and neurophysiological techniques will be used 1) to investigate the effects of the rearing procedure on the response characteristics of neurons in the striate cortex and on neuronal cell size in the lateral geniculate nucleus, 2) to evaluate the effects of occlusion therapy, and 3) to test the hypothesis that different neural loses are associated with strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia. The results of this study will provide a more complete understanding of amblyopia and thus be helpful in the development of successful treatment procedures.

biomedical equipment resource; biomedical equipment purchase;

DESCRIPTION (from the investigator's abstract): Soon after birth, most infants develop near emmetropic refractive errors which are then maintained in both eye throughout childhood and into early adult life. However, for reasons not currently understood, a significant and increasing proportion of the population develop abnormal refractive errors (currently about 30 percent of young adults have significant refractive errors). In addition to the high costs for traditional optical corrections, refractive errors can lead to permanent sensory disorders and ocular abnormalities causing blindness. The long-term objectives for the proposed research are to provide a better understanding of the etiologies of human refractive errors and to gain insight into refractive errors as risk factors for the development of sensory disorders like amblyopia and anomalous binocular vision. A primary goal is to determine how early visual experiences, and in particular optical defocus, influences ocular refractive error development. Spectacle lens-rearing regimens will be used to effectively alter the refractive status of infant rhesus monkeys. Optical and ultrasonographic techniques will be used to quantify the effects of these lens-rearing strategies on the development of the eyes axial and refractive components. In addition to determining which ocular components can be influenced by visual experience, the proposed investigation are designed to determine (1) whether the emmetropization process in higher primates is sensitive to and regulated by optical defocus, (2) the relationship between the phenomenon of form-deprivation myopia and the normal emmetropization process, and (3) whether the presence of astigmatism disrupts normal emmetropization. Parallel psychophysical investigations of spatial contrast sensitivity and stereoacuity will examine the relationship between early refractive errors and the development of amblyopia and/or anomalous binocular vision. The behavioral studies will also determine whether the presence of sensory disorders, themselves, can disrupt emmetropization and promote the subsequent development of abnormal refractive errors. The results of these studies are essential for the development of new treatment and management strategies for refractive errors. Moreover, these investigation will help determine the extent to which refractive errors need to be corrected in young infants in order to avoid the development of sensory disorders.

eye disorder; vision; biomedical equipment resource; biomedical facility; biomedical equipment development;

sulfur compounds; silicates; adhesions; organic chemicals; chemical reaction; chemical models; membrane fusion; thiols; thioether; biomaterial interface interaction; X ray crystallography; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; gas chromatography mass spectrometry; infrared spectrometry;

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) This proposal presents a plan to provide ongoing and stable funding for three high-quality and productive vision-research service Modules: Instrument Design, Research Computer Programming, and Biostatistics. These Modules are run by three exceptionally talented principles who have from 3 to 10 years of experience in our Core Center for Vision Research. These Modules provide needed research services to a present group of 22 Core Center vision scientists from 5 departments of the University of Houston (Biochemistry, Biology, Biophysical Sciences, Electrical Engineering, and Optometry). These Core vision scientists have diverse training and research interests; they collaborate effectively with each other, as well as with some 85 other vision researchers at this University and at other institutions. Together, our 22 Core Center investigators receive direct research funding of about $2.6 million annually. An additional $1.2 million is provided annually by the College in support of their vision research. During the past 5 years of P30 funding at this University, the Core Center has created an unusually favorable vision-research environment that has directly contributed to 125 published papers and culminated in the recruitment of 11 new vision investigators, 7 of whom currently have NIH funding, including 3 who have NEI funding. These accomplishments reflect our Core Center's previous and current aims that focus on: stable funding, quality research services, collaborative research, innovative research, new vision researchers, and pilot projects converting into NIH and NEI support. Especially emphasized in the coming 5 years will be innovate research (such as functional magnetic resonance imaging) and recruitment of vision researchers to fill our current 3 open positions, as well as other positions in the future. Our vision researchers and Module principals are a finely tuned team.

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This NEI P30 award provides ongoing and stable funding for four high quality and productive vision research service Modules: Instrument Design, Research Computer Programming, Biostatistics and Biological Imaging. These Modules are run by an exceptionally talented staff that has from 2 to 15 years of experience in our Core Center for Vision Research. The Modules provide needed research services to a present group of 23 Core Center vision scientists from 5 departments of the University of Houston (Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmacology, Electrical Engineering, and Optometry). These Core vision scientists have diverse training and research interests, they collaborate effectively with each other, as well as with some 100 other vision researchers at this University and at other institutions. Together, our 23 Core Center investigators have 13 qualifying NEI-funded grants. The College of Optometry and University of Houston provide considerable additional commitments in support of vision research. During the past 5 years of P30 funding at this University, the Core Center has created an unusually favorable vision-research environment that has directly contributed to 138 published papers and culminated in the recruitment of 9 new vision investigators, 7 of whom currently have NIH funding, including 3 who have new NEI funding. These accomplishments reflect our Core Center's previous and current aims that focus on stable funding, quality research services, collaborative research, innovative research, new vision researchers, and new projects converting into NIH and NEI support. Especially emphasized in the coming 5 years will be innovative research (e. g., adaptive optics) and recruitment of vision researchers to fill our current 3 open basic science positions, as well as other positions in the future. [unreadable] [unreadable]