Video: Turning Hope Into Reality - Vision Research at the VA

WASHINGTON, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Vision loss is a high priority area for
VA Research. Among VA's research projects in the exciting domain of vision
restoration for Veterans are the development of an artificial retina to
restore vision to those affected by macular degeneration and retinitis
pigmentosa; the design and improvement of assistive devices for those with
visual impairments; and the development of more accurate and efficient methods
of vision testing.

To view the Multimedia News Release go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/veteransvisionloss/38102/

"The more success we have in our research, the more likely it is that Veterans
can keep their own life, do the tasks, do the hobbies that they like to do,"
says Ronald Schuchard, Ph.D., director of the Rehabilitation Research and
Development Center of Excellence in Atlanta. "Being able to play golf, being
able to play cards, being able to do the things that we all love to do in our
every day -- you don't miss them until you can't do them, and then you really
miss them."

In a recent VA study, the antioxidant lutein was shown to improve several
symptoms in those with age-related macular degeneration. For those with this
condition or another major cause of vision loss, retinitis pigmentosa, VA
researchers in Atlanta are now working in the laboratory on retinal chips for
implantation in the eye. The retinal prosthetics aim to give Veterans
functional vision to get around and accomplish everyday activities without
relying on someone else.

In another example of pioneering research, experts at the Palo Alto (Calif.)
VA are studying vision disorders in Veterans with posttraumatic disorder
(PTSD), and in those with both PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury, with the
goal of understanding any associations among the health problems.

In the realm of evaluating how well Veterans are able to see -- including
patients who rely on existing assistive tools -- VA facilities go beyond the
visual testing conducted at a typical clinic, to an assessment that simulates
the real world: How well can a Veteran find an object, especially in a
lifelike cluttered environment? The tests aim to give researchers "a better
handle," explains Schuchard, "on whether we're doing a good job at giving
those kinds of everyday tasks back" to Veterans.
Visit VA's Research and Development site at http://www.research.va.gov.

For information about the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit
http://www.va.gov/.

For updates on the work of VA Research, please visit
http://www.research.va.gov/resources/pubs/factsheets.cfm.

For a program overview of the VA Research program, go to
http://www.research.va.gov/resources/pubs/docs/Overview-of-ORD.pdf.

SOURCE Department of Veterans Affairs

Phil Budahn, Director Media Relations, +1-202-461-7558, phil.budahn@va.gov