Racial Disparities in Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery for Management of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Propensity Matched Cohort Study: Racial Disparities in MIGS for the Management of POAG.

PURPOSE: To evaluate racial/ethnic differences in the use of microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) for the management of mild-moderate primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the United States. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with a diagnosis of mild or moderate POAG, as defined by current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, were included. The experimental group comprised African American (AA) patients and the control group consisted of patients without an AA designation in the TriNetX database. METHODS: Propensity scoring was used to match cohorts for age at diagnosis, Charlson Comorbidity Index, sex, nicotine dependence, glaucoma medications, family history of POAG, Body Mass Index, and weight. Outcome was incidence of MIGS over 1 year of follow up. Odds ratios were calculated between cohorts MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of MIGS over 1 year of follow-up post-POAG diagnosis. RESULTS: 63,418 POAG patients were included (50% AA, 50% non-AA). AA patients were found to undergo MIGS at a significantly lower rate (1,268 of 31,709) compared to non-AA patients (1,508 of 31,709) (OR 0.834, 95% CI: 0.773 - 0.900). CONCLUSION: Although POAG is understood to be more prevalent among African Americans, these patients display lower utilization of MIGS, suggesting a possible nationwide racial disparity in the management of POAG.

Anatomic Characteristics of Eyes With Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the anatomic characteristics of eyes with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) with eyes without FECD. METHODS: This study was a retrospective chart review performed at an academic medical center. Patients with FECD were identified through a search of the electronic medical records. Eligible patients underwent Scheimpflug imaging and optical biometry and were compared with age and sex-matched control subjects who underwent similar testing in preparation for cataract surgery. Several measurements of the cornea, anterior chamber, and eyes were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 404 eyes (202 eyes with FECD and 202 control eyes) were included in this study. Compared with controls, eyes with FECD had shallower AC depths, lower AC volumes, and narrower angles. Conversely, the spherical equivalent before cataract surgery, corneal pachymetry, and corneal volume were higher in eyes with FECD. On Scheimpflug imaging analysis, these anatomical differences were present in FECD eyes with and without corneal edema. After adjusting for sex, these differences remained statistically significant. Shorter axial length was found to be statistically significant in male eyes but not in female eyes with FECD. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports new ocular characteristics in FECD eyes with and without edema. Optical biometry and Scheimpflug imaging established that the anatomic findings in eyes with FECD were not simply due to the larger volume of an edematous cornea but rather unique to eyes with FECD. These findings will provide reliable, normative data for future studies examining surgical, medical, and anatomical factors in FECD.

36-Month Outcomes of Standalone Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy Compared with Ab-Interno Closed Conjunctiva Xen Gel Stent Implantation.

Purpose: To compare the safety and effectiveness of standalone Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) excisional goniotomy to standalone ab-interno Xen gel stent implantation in eyes with moderate-to-severe open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Methods: A single-center, retrospective study including eyes with moderate-to-severe OAG undergoing standalone KDB goniotomy or Xen gel stent implantation was conducted. Intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of antiglaucoma medications taken daily, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were recorded at baseline and for up to 36-months. Primary outcomes assessed included changes from baseline in IOP and the number of antiglaucoma medications taken. Intergroup comparisons were conducted using independent-samples Student's t-tests. The incidence of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events and the need for glaucoma surgical re-interventions were also recorded. Results: Eyes receiving standalone KDB (n=26) or Xen gel stent (n=45) surgery were analyzed. The baseline mean IOP and number of antiglaucoma medications in both groups were as follows: KDB: 23.2 ± 6.0 mmHg, 2.2 ± 1.4 medications; Xen: 22.7 ± 8.8 mmHg, 3.0 ± 1.0 medications. At 36 months, IOP was reduced to 16.6 ± 5.4 mmHg in KDB eyes (n=23, -23.5%; p=0.0004) and 15.3 ± 5.6 mmHg in Xen gel stent eyes (n=15, -22.1%; p=0.006), while number of antiglaucoma medications was reduced to 1.1 ± 0.7 (-30.8%; p=0.0005) and 2.2 ± 1.4 (-25.6%; p=0.01), respectively. Three eyes (11.5%) in the KDB group and 19 eyes (42.2%) in the Xen gel stent group required additional surgery before month 36 due to refractory high IOP. Conclusion: Both KDB goniotomy and Xen gel stent implantation significantly lowered the IOP and antiglaucoma medication burden in patients with moderate-to-severe OAG. While the Xen gel stent is frequently used to treat moderate-to-severe OAG patients with uncontrolled IOP, standalone KDB goniotomy may be equally effective as a long-term intervention, reducing the need for subsequent glaucoma surgery.

Complications Following XEN45 Gel Stent and Glaucoma Drainage Device Implantation During Glaucoma Fellowship.

Purpose XEN45 Gel Stent and glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation is safe and effective for glaucoma treatment and should be taught during glaucoma fellowship training. However, complications may still occur, with potentially sight-threatening consequences. The purpose of this study is to describe the management of complications following a series of XEN45 Gel Stent and GDD surgeries performed over the course of glaucoma fellowship training. Methods This is a retrospective case series of XEN45 Gel Stent surgeries performed on 16 eyes and GDD surgeries performed on seven eyes. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, and complications are reviewed. The intra- and postoperative course of five select cases with complications are described in detail. Results The most frequent complications following XEN45 implantation were transient hypotony (10 eyes, 63%), reduced visual acuity (VA) (five eyes, 31%), choroidal effusion (three eyes, 19%), hyphema (two eyes, 13%), and intraocular pressure (IOP) spike (two eyes, 13%). Thirteen eyes (81%) required bleb needling, and three eyes (19%) required XEN45 replacement. Complications following GDD implantation included hypotony (three eyes, 43%), reduced VA (two eyes, 29%), choroidal effusion (two eyes, 29%), IOP spike (two eyes, 29%), implant exposure (two eyes, 29%), and shallow anterior chamber (one eye, 14%). Three eyes (43%) required revision or explantation with a secondary glaucoma surgery. One choroidal effusion following XEN45 surgery and one following GDD surgery were hemorrhagic choroidal effusions requiring surgical drainage. Conclusion Significant and potentially sight-threatening complications may occur following XEN45 Gel Stent and GDD implantation performed over the course of fellowship training. Glaucoma fellows should be ably equipped to recognize, diagnose, and manage these complications both intra- and postoperatively.

A Review of Canaloplasty in the Treatment and Management of Glaucoma.

Aim: To review the published literature evaluating the safety and efficacy outcomes of canaloplasty performed in the treatment of glaucoma. Background: Canaloplasty is a nonpenetrating glaucoma procedure involving combined 360° circumnavigation and viscodilation of Schlemm's canal. The procedure may be performed under an ab externo (with tensioning suture) or ab-interno (conjunctiva-sparing) approach. Given the wide variety of glaucoma procedure types and approaches, further investigation into the role of canaloplasty in ophthalmological practice is warranted. The objectives of this narrative review are to synthesize the existing literature in order to investigate indications, safety and efficacy outcomes, and the optimal place of canaloplasty in glaucoma treatment and management. Review of results: A total of 60 articles were included in this review. Both ab externo and ab-interno canaloplasty (ABiC) were found to be significantly effective at reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma medication burdens in patients with mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma (OAG). These findings remained consistent regardless of phacoemulsification status. ABiC was found to exhibit a safety profile favorable compared to trabeculectomy and comparable to minimally invasive trabecular bypass implants. Conclusion: Canaloplasty is a nonpenetrating surgical intervention that is highly effective in treating patients with mild-to-moderate OAG across a large variety of clinical scenarios. Clinical significance: These findings support the clinical use of canaloplasty in ophthalmological practice, clarify its patient profile, and compare procedural outcomes to other minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices on the market. How to cite this article: Wagner IV, Towne C, Saade MC, et al. A Review of Canaloplasty in the Treatment and Management of Glaucoma. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2024;18(2):79-85.

Clinical Outcomes of Excisional Goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade: 6-Year Results.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of excisional goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) in the management of various types of glaucoma. METHODS: This was a retrospective, noncomparative chart review of 90 eyes of 53 patients with glaucoma that underwent standalone KDB goniotomy (KDB-alone group) or KDB goniotomy with concomitant phacoemulsification (KDB-phaco group) between October 2015 and October 2017. Surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction by ≥ 20% at the last follow-up with no surgical reinterventions required and a final IOP ≥ 4 mmHg and ≤ 21 mmHg. We also report on changes from baseline in IOP, number of glaucoma medications, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and visual field parameters, for up to 72 months. RESULTS: At 72 months, mean (standard deviation [SD]) IOP was reduced from 17.5 (5.7) to 13.6 (3.0) mmHg (P < 0.0001) in the KDB-phaco group and from 23.3 (5.9) to 15.1 (6.2) mmHg (P = 0.0593) in the KDB-alone group. The mean (SD) number of glaucoma medications was reduced from 1.3 (1.0) to 0.8 (0.9) (P < 0.0001) in the KDB-phaco group and from 1.2 (1.0) to 0.7 (0.8) (P = 0.3409) in the KDB-alone group. During the 72-month follow-up, surgical success was achieved in 24 of the 52 available eyes (46.2%). Four eyes underwent a glaucoma surgical reintervention by 72 months. CONCLUSIONS: Excisional goniotomy with the KDB effectively lowered the IOP (by an average of 28.0% from baseline) and maintained or further reduced glaucoma medication burdens (by an average of 30.8% from baseline) under an excellent safety profile, independent of phacoemulsification status. The procedure exhibited favorable success for up to 6 years, providing valuable insights into its long-term efficacy as a glaucoma treatment.

Recent Updates on the Diagnosis and Management of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the Western world, with a higher prevalence among Europeans and North Americans than that in Africans, Hispanics, and Asians. Advanced AMD is categorized as atrophic (dry) or exudative (wet/neovascular age-related macular degeneration [nAMD]). Dry AMD is characterized by progressive geographic atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal layers, whereas nAMD is characterized by new vessels that invade the subretinal and/or subretinal pigment epithelium spaces. Existing treatments delay the onset of advanced AMD and reverses vision loss for a couple of years before atrophy usually decreases central visual acuity. We searched PubMed and Medline databases from January 1, 1980, to December 1, 2023, using the following search terms: macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularization, geographic atrophy, drusen, age-related maculopathy, AMD, ARMD, and anti-VEGF. Relevant articles in English (or English translations) were retrieved and reviewed. Bibliographies of the identified manuscripts were also reviewed to identify relevant studies. Age-related macular degeneration most commonly affects people older than 55 years. Visual prognosis varies, with advanced lesions (nAMD and geographic atrophy) leading to rapid, progressive loss of central vision and contrast sensitivity. Although AMD is not a life-threatening disease, reduced vision profoundly compromises quality of life and necessitates living assistance for many patients. Over the past 2 decades, advances in prevention (vitamin supplementation) and therapy (antivascular endothelial growth factor and complement inhibitor drugs) have reduced vision loss and blindness. Further research is needed to decrease the incidence of blindness in patients with advanced disease.

36-Month Outcomes of Ahmed ClearPath® Glaucoma Drainage Device in Severe Primary Open Angle Glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Ahmed ClearPath® (ACP) 250 mm2 glaucoma drainage device (GDD) in managing refractory primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective case series focused on adult patients diagnosed with severe POAG who underwent implantation of an ACP GDD. Over a 36-month follow-up period, data on intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of glaucoma medications, and complications were recorded. The primary objectives were to assess the reductions from baseline in both IOP and medication usage, through 36 months. Secondary objectives included the proportion of eyes achieving an IOP reduction of ≥ 20% from baseline at 36 months. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were also assessed. Results: Twelve eyes from 11 patients (mean age: 71.3 ± 14.1 years) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. All patients had severe POAG (n=11), with the majority being Caucasian (n=8) and female (n=10). The mean (standard deviation) IOP and number of glaucoma medications at baseline were 29 (7.6) mmHg and 3 (0.9), respectively. At 36 months, mean IOP was reduced to 10.6 (5.5) mmHg (-61.8%; p= 0.0008) and mean number of medications was reduced to 0.9 (0.9) (-71.4%; p=0.0005), with 88.9% of eyes achieving an IOP reduction by ≥20%. No vision threatening complications were observed. Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the first study to report 36-month outcomes of the novel ACP device in the treatment of refractory POAG. The safety profile and efficacy of the ACP was found to be comparable to that of other commonly utilized GDD models.

In a pickle: Cases of pickleball related ocular injuries.

Purpose: Although musculoskeletal involvement is the common presentation, studies have reported the incidence of sports related ocular trauma. Here we present the case reports of two patients who sustained injury in one of the fast growing sports - the pickleball, during play without eye protection. Observations: Two patients with history of injury during pickleball play presented to our clinic with varying spectrum of ocular presentations. First patient had an anterior segment involvement with hyphema and elevated intraocular pressure, and the second patient had both anterior and posterior segment involvement causing angle recession and commotio retinae. Conclusion: Ocular injuries related to various sports have been extensively described, our intent is to increase the awareness about the possible ocular injuries related to rising pickleball and that improved safety measures and appropriate education to the players could prevent such ocular injuries.

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties.

The development of sustainable materials from the valorization of waste is a good alternative to reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging. The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize pectin-based composite films incorporated with cork or cork with either coffee grounds or walnut shells, as well as to test the films' genotoxicity, antioxidant properties, and biodegradation capacity in soil and seawater. The addition of cork, coffee grounds, or walnut shells modified the films' characteristics. The results showed that those films were thicker (0.487 ± 0.014 mm to 0.572 ± 0.014 mm), more opaque (around 100%), darker (L* = 25.30 ± 0.78 to 33.93 ± 0.84), and had a higher total phenolic content (3.17 ± 0.01 mg GA/g to 4.24 ± 0.02 mg GA/g). On the other hand, the films incorporated only with cork showed higher values of elongation at break (32.24 ± 1.88% to 36.30 ± 3.25%) but lower tensile strength (0.91 ± 0.19 MPa to 1.09 ± 0.08 MPa). All the films presented more heterogeneous and rougher microstructures than the pectin film. This study also revealed that the developed films do not contain DNA-reactive substances and that they are biodegradable in soil and seawater. These positive properties could subsequently make the developed films an interesting eco-friendly food packaging solution that contributes to the valorization of organic waste and by-products, thus promoting the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of plastic materials.

Clinical Outcomes of MicroPulse Transscleral Laser Therapy with the Revised P3 Delivery Device.

Aim: To evaluate the success and safety of MicroPulse transscleral laser therapy (TLT) on intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction in adults with uncontrolled glaucoma using different total treatment durations, sweep velocities, and a number of sweeps utilizing the revised MicroPulse P3 delivery device. Materials and methods: A single-center Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved multiple cohort studies of MicroPulse TLT with the revised MicroPulse P3 delivery device, which was conducted in 61 eyes from 40 adults with uncontrolled glaucoma. Eyes that received 50-second (GI, GII, and GIII) and 60-second (GIV, GV, and GVI) treatment applications between May and October 2020 were reviewed. Each hemisphere received a total of five, four, or three sweeps. The patient's IOP and glaucoma medications were monitored over 12 months follow-up. Qualified success was defined as an IOP of ≤21 mm Hg and/or reduction of ≥20% from baseline at 12 months, with no secondary glaucoma reinterventions. Complete success was defined as meeting the above criteria with no increase in glaucoma medications at 12 months. All eyes requiring a glaucoma surgical intervention were considered a failure. Results: Qualified success was achieved in 83.6% of eyes, while complete success was achieved in 75.4% of eyes. In eyes receiving 50-second applications of five, four, or three sweeps (GI, GII, and GIII), 70, 90, and 91% achieved qualified success, respectively; in eyes receiving 60-second applications of five, four, or three sweeps (GIV, GV, and GVI), 78, 82, and 90% achieved qualified success, respectively. Within each subgroup, mean IOP reductions ranged from 32.8 to 49.4% and were statistically significant (p < 0.008). The failure rate was 16.4%, and at least one eye failed in each subgroup. Conclusions: MicroPulse TLT with the revised MicroPulse P3 delivery device and relatively low total energy levels is safe and effective at lowering IOP. Efficacy appears to increase with longer treatment durations and slower sweep velocities, but statistical differences between age and clinical differences between baseline IOP measurements limit comparison between subgroups. Clinical significance: There is a lack of literature evaluating the safety and IOP-lowering success of the revised MicroPulse P3 delivery device using different total treatment durations, sweep velocities, and number of sweeps. How to cite this article: Checo LA, Dorairaj S, Wagner IV, et al. Clinical Outcomes of MicroPulse Transscleral Laser Therapy with the Revised P3 Delivery Device. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2024;18(1):10-15.

Long-Term Efficacy of Successful Excisional Goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade.

Purpose: To report clinical outcomes of successful excisional goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB), through 60 months. Patients and methods: This was a noncomparative, single-surgeon, retrospective review of eyes receiving successful KDB goniotomy with or without concomitant phacoemulsification between October 2015 and January 2016 with five years of uninterrupted follow-up. Intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and complications were recorded. Primary outcomes included changes from baseline in IOP, medication use, and BCVA, through five years. Results: Fifty-two eyes of 28 patients were analyzed. Most eyes had mild primary open angle glaucoma (73%). Of the eyes analyzed, 41 underwent combined surgery and 11 underwent standalone surgery. With all eyes combined, mean (standard deviation) baseline IOP was 21.0 (4.1) mmHg and mean baseline medication use was 1.8 (1.1) medications per eye. Across time points at months 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60, mean postoperative IOP ranged from 13.0 to 13.7 mmHg, representing mean reductions of 7.3-8.0 mmHg (34.7-38.3%; p <0.0001 at every time point). Similarly, mean medication use ranged from 0.4 to 0.6 medications per eye, representing mean reductions of 1.2-1.4 medications (66-75.5%; p <0.0001 at every time point). Mean logMAR BCVA improved from 0.321 (0.177) preoperatively to 0.015 (0.035) at month 60 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In eyes not requiring secondary surgical procedures (eg, long-term surgical successes), excisional goniotomy provided clinically and statistically significant reductions in both IOP and the need for medications that were highly consistent through five years of follow-up. KDB goniotomy appears to be highly successful in Caucasian patients with open angle glaucoma on ≥1 IOP-lowering medications at baseline and with no history of prior ocular surgery. Successful excisional goniotomy with the KDB can be expected to improve long-term glaucoma-related visual outcomes through IOP reduction and to improve quality of life through medication reduction.

Acute stress reduces effortful prosocial behaviour.

Acute stress can change our cognition and emotions, but what specific consequences this has for human prosocial behaviour is unclear. Previous studies have mainly investigated prosociality with financial transfers in economic games and produced conflicting results. Yet a core feature of many types of prosocial behaviour is that they are effortful. We therefore examined how acute stress changes our willingness to exert effort that benefits others. Healthy male participants - half of whom were put under acute stress - made decisions whether to exert physical effort to gain money for themselves or another person. With this design, we could independently assess the effects of acute stress on prosocial, compared to self-benefitting, effortful behaviour. Compared to controls (n = 45), participants in the stress group (n = 46) chose to exert effort more often for self- than for other-benefitting rewards at a low level of effort. Additionally, the adverse effects of stress on prosocial effort were particularly pronounced in more selfish participants. Neuroimaging combined with computational modelling revealed a putative neural mechanism underlying these effects: more stressed participants showed increased activation to subjective value in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula when they themselves could benefit from their exerted effort relative to when someone else could. By using an effort-based task that better approximates real-life prosocial behaviour and incorporating trait differences in prosocial tendencies, our study provides important insights into how acute stress affects prosociality and its associated neural mechanisms.

Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence that violent video games exert no negative effect on human empathy for pain and emotional reactivity to violence.

Influential accounts claim that violent video games (VVGs) decrease players' emotional empathy by desensitizing them to both virtual and real-life violence. However, scientific evidence for this claim is inconclusive and controversially debated. To assess the causal effect of VVGs on the behavioral and neural correlates of empathy and emotional reactivity to violence, we conducted a prospective experimental study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We recruited 89 male participants without prior VVG experience. Over the course of two weeks, participants played either a highly violent video game or a non-violent version of the same game. Before and after this period, participants completed an fMRI experiment with paradigms measuring their empathy for pain and emotional reactivity to violent images. Applying a Bayesian analysis approach throughout enabled us to find substantial evidence for the absence of an effect of VVGs on the behavioral and neural correlates of empathy. Moreover, participants in the VVG group were not desensitized to images of real-world violence. These results imply that short and controlled exposure to VVGs does not numb empathy nor the responses to real-world violence. We discuss the implications of our findings regarding the potential and limitations of experimental research on the causal effects of VVGs. While VVGs might not have a discernible effect on the investigated subpopulation within our carefully controlled experimental setting, our results cannot preclude that effects could be found in settings with higher ecological validity, in vulnerable subpopulations, or after more extensive VVG play.

Violent video games have often been accused of facilitating aggressive behaviour, in particular due to concerns that they could numb players toward real violence and therefore result in decreased empathy towards the pain of others. However, studies investigating these claims have often produced conflicting results, potentially due to methodological issues. For instance, work showing that violent games lead to emotional desensitization has often relied on testing participants immediately after a gaming session, which limits interpretations about prolonged impact. Many studies also compare gamers to people with no gaming experience, making it difficult to assess whether violent games decrease empathy, or whether less empathetic individuals are more likely to be drawn to this content. Lengersdorff et al. aimed to examine the long-term effects of violent video games using an experimental design that would bypass some of these limitations. A group of 89 young men with little gaming experience were recruited to play either a highly or non-violent version of the same game for seven hour-long sessions over two weeks. The way their brain reacted to violent images and processed other people's pain was assessed before and after this 'gaming training' using fMRI. The analyses showed no changes in these measures in volunteers who played the violent version of the game, suggesting that it had not numbed them to violence or affected their empathy. While experimental studies cannot fully capture the experiences of real-world gamers, the findings by Lengersdorff et al. represent a step towards resolving the scientific controversy surrounding the effects of violent games. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of how this type of media influences our emotions could help inform policymaking decisions about access to violent content.

Music for autism: a protocol for an international randomized crossover trial on music therapy for children with autism.

The notion of a connection between autism and music is as old as the first reported cases of autism, and music has been used as a therapeutic tool for many decades. Music therapy holds promise as an intervention for individuals with autism, harnessing their strengths in music processing to enhance communication and expression. While previous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated positive outcomes in terms of global improvement and quality of life, their reliance on psychological outcomes restricts our understanding of underlying mechanisms. This paper introduces the protocol for the Music for Autism study, a randomized crossover trial designed to investigate the effects of a 12-week music therapy intervention on a range of psychometric, neuroimaging, and biological outcomes in school-aged children with autism. The protocol builds upon previous research and aims to both replicate and expand upon findings that demonstrated improvements in social communication and functional brain connectivity following a music intervention. The primary objective of this trial is to determine whether music therapy leads to improvements in social communication and functional brain connectivity as compared to play-based therapy. In addition, secondary aims include exploring various relevant psychometric, neuroimaging, and biological outcomes. To achieve these objectives, we will enroll 80 participants aged 6-12 years in this international, assessor-blinded, crossover randomized controlled trial. Each participant will be randomly assigned to receive either music therapy or play-based therapy for a period of 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week washout period, after which they will receive the alternate intervention. Assessments will be conducted four times, before and after each intervention period. The protocol of the Music for Autism trial provides a comprehensive framework for studying the effects of music therapy on a range of multidimensional outcomes in children with autism. The findings from this trial have the potential to contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions that leverage strengths in music processing to address the complex challenges faced by individuals with autism. Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04936048.

Optical gain and lasing from bulk cadmium sulfide nanocrystals through bandgap renormalization.

Strongly confined colloidal quantum dots have been investigated for low-cost light emission and lasing for nearly two decades. However, known materials struggle to combine technologically relevant metrics of low-threshold and long inverted-state lifetime with a material gain coefficient fit to match cavity losses, particularly under electrical excitation. Here we show that bulk nanocrystals of CdS combine an exceptionally large material gain of 50,000 cm-1 with best-in-class gain thresholds below a single exciton per nanocrystal and 3 ns gain lifetimes not limited by non-radiative Auger processes. We quantitatively account for these findings by invoking a strong bandgap renormalization effect, unobserved in nanocrystals to date, to the best of our knowledge. Next, we demonstrate broadband amplified spontaneous emission and lasing under quasi-continuous-wave conditions. Our results highlight the prospects of bulk nanocrystals for lasing from solution-processable materials.

Cyclodialysis Cleft and Hypotony Following Combined Phacoemulsification and Excisional Goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade.

A 69-year-old woman with bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation and excisional goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB; New World Medical, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA) in both eyes one year prior was referred for evaluation of significant visual acuity loss and pain in the left eye. On initial examination, intraocular pressure in the left eye was 3 mmHg and slit lamp examination revealed normal anterior chamber depth. Gonioscopy revealed a cyclodialysis cleft that was confirmed by anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Prominent chorioretinal folds suggestive of long-standing hypotony maculopathy were observed during fundoscopic examination. The cyclodialysis cleft, thought to be created inadvertently during the KDB goniotomy, resolved after three sessions of argon laser photocoagulation and the patient's symptoms and visual acuity partially improved.

Spotlight on Schlemm's Canal MicroStent Injection in Patients with Glaucoma.

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) has revolutionized glaucoma care with its favorable safety profile and ability to delay or minimize the need for traditional, bleb-based procedures. Microstent device implantation is a type of angle-based MIGS, which reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) through bypass of the juxtacanalicular trabecular meshwork (TM) and facilitation of aqueous outflow into the Schlemm's canal. Although there are limited microstent devices on the market, multiple studies have evaluated the safety and efficacy of iStent® (Glaukos Corp.), iStent Inject® (Glaukos Corp.), and Hydrus® Microstent (Alcon) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma, with and without concurrent phacoemulsification. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive evaluation of injectable angle-based microstent MIGS devices in the treatment of glaucoma.

Functionally analogous body- and animacy-responsive areas are present in the dog (Canis familiaris) and human occipito-temporal lobe.

Comparing the neural correlates of socio-cognitive skills across species provides insights into the evolution of the social brain and has revealed face- and body-sensitive regions in the primate temporal lobe. Although from a different lineage, dogs share convergent visuo-cognitive skills with humans and a temporal lobe which evolved independently in carnivorans. We investigated the neural correlates of face and body perception in dogs (N = 15) and humans (N = 40) using functional MRI. Combining univariate and multivariate analysis approaches, we found functionally analogous occipito-temporal regions involved in the perception of animate entities and bodies in both species and face-sensitive regions in humans. Though unpredicted, we also observed neural representations of faces compared to inanimate objects, and dog compared to human bodies in dog olfactory regions. These findings shed light on the evolutionary foundations of human and dog social cognition and the predominant role of the temporal lobe.