Optometry Commons^™

There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living With And Serving Those With Macular Degeneration And Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Book Review: Perski T, There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living with and Serving Those with Macular Degeneration and Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Inicio Press, 2025. 306 pages, Paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-998315-48-2, Kindle $9.99 ISBN 978–1– 998315– 49–9

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (Pps, Elmiron) Maculopathy Demonstrates The Importance Of Coordinated Care From A Low Vision Perspective, Charlotte I. Spada Od, Stephanie Schmiedecke Barbieri Od, Patricia Sanchez Diaz Dvm, Phd, Jeffrey Rabin Od, Phd

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS, Elmiron®) is a widely used medication to reduce pain caused by interstitial cystitis, a bladder disorder most often affecting females. PPS maculopathy is a novel form of toxic retinal disease often not recognized or mistaken for other retinal conditions such as macular degeneration due to the initial similarities on fundus exam. However, when visualized using fundus autofluorescence, affected eyes show characteristic hyper/hypo-autofluorescent patterns.

Case report: A patient taking PPS for 10 years presented with macular changes and complaints of blurry vision and nyctalopia. Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and genetic testing were performed including fundus autofluorescence and …

Effect Of Pre-Training Patients Using A Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation On Visual Field Reliability In First-Time Test Takers, Lillian M. Centlivre B.S., Derek Zahnleuter B.S., Rahul Babu B.S., Chaesik Kim, Kaitlin Ziadeh Md, Hanna Simmons Md, Vivian Rajeswaren Md, Aleskey Parker Williams Do, Jacob Im Md, Aleksey Mishulin Md, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi Md, Hassan Tokko

Medical Student Research Symposium

Title: Effect of Pre-Training Patients Using a Self-Directed Slideshow Presentation on Visual Field Reliability in First-Time Test Takers

Authors: Lillian Centlivre BS, Derek Zahnleuter BS, Rahul Babu BS, Chaesik Kim BSEE, Kaitlin Ziadeh MD, Hanna Simmons MD, Vivian Rajeswaren MD, Aleksey Parker Williams DO, Jacob Im MD, Aleksey Mishulin MD, Faisal Ridha Al-Timimi MD, Hassan Tokko MD

Background: Visual field (VF) testing is essential for detecting glaucoma, but reliability is limited by patient inexperience and poor fixation. Prior studies report VF test reliability around 59%, primarily attributed to increased fixation loss (FL). Other studies note 75.9% reliability using training videos …

Eye On The Prize: Expanding Student Awareness Of Optometry As A Profession, Lorena Flores-Hernandez

MedEd Teaching Certificate Program

The proposed Doctor of Optometry program at UTRGV has the potential to positively enhance the ocular health of our communities. Implementing an outreach program highlighting a career path in optometry will be essential for the future of eyecare in the Rio Grande Valley.

According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the optometric workforce is projected to grow over the next decade. The increased demand for optometrists is related to multiple factors including an aging population with chronic diseases and a nationwide shortage of ophthalmology practitioners.

Nationally, the Optometry Gives Me Life campaign, launched by the Association of …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

Analyzing The Role Of Ai In Resident Education: An Evaluation Of Chatgpt On Ophthalmology Trainee Examination Questions By Subtopic, Kimberly Cartagena, Simran Ohri, Carolina Ramos, Yaxel Levin-Carrion, Alexandra Sanchez, Marko Oydanich, Albert S. Khouri

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: ChatGPT is a large-scale language model trained on various datasets to learn, analyze, and generate human-like answers to user’s questions. To assess its applicability to medical education, more information is required to understand whether its analyses can provide accurate and coherent responses to questions. The aim of this study was to characterize ChatGPT responses to ophthalmology questions according to subtopic to determine where the system might be used reliably in resident education and where its performance remains weak.

Methods: Ophthalmology questions were obtained from a widely utilized study resource, OphthoQuestions. Thirteen sections, each with a differing ophthalmic …

Best Screening: Introducing The Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid To Nicus In Tennessee, Gabrielle Sledge

OTD Capstone Projects

Blind Early Services Tennessee (BEST) is an early intervention agency that serves children ages 0-5 with visual impairments across Tennessee. BEST serves over 200 children and families across the state offering early intervention (BEST Start), parent empowerment (BEST Advocate), and family support (BEST Together) programming. The purpose of this project was to assist in the implementation of an early identification initiative (BEST Screening) using the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid (NAVEG). The NAVEG is a newborn vision screening shown to identify neurological risk for visual impairments. The long-term goal of this program is to promote the screening and early identification …

Safety And Cost Effectiveness Of Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataracts Surgery, Miles Bowman, Abbie R. Bauer

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

Rush SW, Gerald AE, Smith JC, Rush AJ, Rush RB. Prospective analysis of outcomes and economic factors of same-day bilateral cataract surgery in the United States. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. 2015;41(4):732-739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrs.2014.07.034

for a patient with bilateral cataracts.

Occupational Therapy Curricula Patterns For Acquired Brain Injury-Related Vision Disorders For Entry-Level Programs: A Survey, Laura Schmeiser, Alicia Reiser, Caitlyn Foy

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists are among the first providers to encounter individuals after an acquired brain injury (ABI). Evidence suggests that most occupational therapists learn about ABI-related vision disorders from continuing education and on-the-job training. A better understanding of entry-level curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders is important because of their high prevalence and impact on occupational performance. A descriptive online survey was administered to occupational therapy educators at ACOTE-accredited entry-level programs to explore curricula patterns for ABI-related vision disorders. Of 1,391 occupational therapy educators invited to participate, 71 (5%) began the survey, and 66 met the inclusion criteria. Vision screening methods …

Vitamin C Contributes To Epigenetic Regulation Of Genes Related To Diabetic Retinopathy In Retinal Endothelial Cells, Elizabeth L. Turner, Jonathon Reynolds, Walker Kay, Marianne Becnel, Matthew Conway, Alexander Kim, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Isolated Optic Neuropathy As The Presenting Sign Of Neurosyphilis, Kasey Zann Od, Molly Johnson Od, James Fabian Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Detection and treatment of syphilitic ocular disease without a known history of syphilis is often difficult due to its varied presentations. Early diagnosis and treatment are the key to reducing risk of permanent vision loss, particularly with optic nerve and retinal manifestations.

Case Report: This case report describes a 44 year-old male who was diagnosed with neurosyphilis through his work-up for unilateral optic neuropathy.

Conclusion: This report illustrates the importance of including syphilis lab testing in the setting of optic nerve edema. Syphilis should be considered in any inflammatory ocular disease, especially in patients with atypical presentations and high-risk …

A Comparison Of Emoji Characters To Picture Optotypes, Simran Brar

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Is Optometry Ready For Myopia Control? Education And Other Barriers To The Treatment Of Myopia, Saoirse Mccrann, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, James Loughman

Other Resources

Background

With the increasing prevalence of myopia there is growing interest in active myopia control. However, the majority of progressive myopes are still prescribed single vision spectacles. This prospective study aims to elucidate the knowledge and attitudes of optometrists toward myopia control, and thereby identify perceived barriers to the implementation of a risk focussed model of myopia management.

Methods

A series of four focus group discussions were conducted involving optometrists in different settings and career stages.

Results

The key finding to emerge is a clear disconnect between academic optometrists, optometry students and clinicians in practice. Academic faculty considered themselves competent …