Effect of Asanas in Yoga on Intraocular Pressure of Practicing Healthy Individuals: a Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Yoga is focused attention by breath and mantra. This forms the basis for a scientific investigation of its effect on various physiological functions such as intraocular pressure (IOP). Objective: To evaluate the effect of asanas in Yoga on the IOP of practicing individuals. Methods:A prospective, observational study was performed on 107 volunteers practising the asanas such as Sun salutation exercise (Surya Namaskar), Skull shining breath (Kapalabhati Pranayama), Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Standing forward bend (Uttanasana), Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani), Alternate breathing technique (Anulom Vilom), Deep meditation (Dhyana), Bellows breath (Bhastrika Pranayama), Yoga head stand (Shirshasana) and control of breathing exercise (Pranayama) each for five minutes/day (40-60 minutes) for at least five days in a week for 12 weeks. The IOP measurement was performed for each asana (before and after) at baseline and every four weeks. The primary outcome was the change in IOP. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The mean age of the participants was 42.64±7 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.2:1. Skull shinning breath, Sun salutation, Downward facing dog, Standing forward bend, Legs up the wall pose, Deep meditation and alternate breathing techniques showed a significant mean reduction in IOP at baseline, followed by every four weeks, till week 12, while Yoga head stand, Bellows breath and control of breath led to a significant increase in IOP. Conclusion:Yoga head stand, Bellows breath and control of breathing technique worsen IOP transiently.

Retinal microvasculature in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis of studies assessing vessel density using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

We performed a series of random-effects meta-analyses on cross-sectional studies assessing vessel density (VD) using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) in schizophrenia. Five studies with a total sample size of 410 (schizophrenia-192;healthy-218) were analysed. Supplementary Trial Sequential Analyses (TSA) was also performed. Meta-analyses revealed significantly lower VD in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls in the peripapillary region of the optic disc, including both superior hemisphere and inferior hemisphere. TSA validated these significant effects. We conclude that reduced VD at the peripapillary region of the optic disc as measured by OCTA may have the potential to be a schizophrenia biomarker.

A clinical trial on phakic intraocular lens for the treatment of refractive amblyopia in children and adolescents.

Purpose: To analyze the demographics and clinical outcomes of posterior chamber phakic intraocular (IOL) implantation for refractive amblyopia in children and adolescents. Methods: A prospective interventional study was performed on children and adolescents with amblyopia at a tertiary eye care center from January 2021 to August 2022. Twenty-three eyes of 21 anisomyopic and isomyopic amblyopia patients operated for posterior chamber phakic IOL (Eyecryl phakic IOL) as a treatment for amblyopia were included in the study. Patient demographics, pre- and postoperative visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, anterior and posterior segment examination, intraocular pressure, pachymetry, contrast sensitivity, endothelial count, and patient satisfaction scores were evaluated. Patients were followed up at day 1, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery, and visual outcomes and complications were documented. Results: The mean age of patients was 14.16 ± 3.49 years (range: 10-19 years). The mean intraocular lens power was - 12.20 diopter spherical (DS) in 23 eyes and - 2.25 diopter cylindrical (DC) in four patients. The mean unaided distant visual acuity (UDVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were 1.39 ± 0.25 and 0.40 ± 0.21 preoperatively on the log of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) chart. Postoperatively, the visual acuity improved by 2.6 lines in 3 months period and maintained till 1 year. Postsurgery, contrast sensitivity in the amblyopic eyes significantly improved, and the average endothelial loss recorded was 5.78% at 1 year, which was statistically insignificant. Patient satisfaction score was statistically significant, with 4.736/5 recorded on the Likert scale. Conclusion: Posterior chamber phakic IOL is a safe, effective, and alternative method for treating amblyopia patients who are noncompliant with glasses, contact lenses, and keratorefractive procedures.

Efficacy and safety of Molnupiravir in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral drug that received Emergency Use Authorization in three countries for the treatment of mild COVID-19. The aim of this systematic review was to find out the safety and efficacy of Molnupiravir in SARS-COV-2 infections. METHODS: The electronic databases such as PubMed, MedRxiv, BioRxiv, FDA, ClinicalTrials.Gov, ctri.nic.in and Google Scholar were searched for articles from January 2021 to March 2022 using the keywords such as "Molnupiravir", "COVID-19", "Oral antiviral pill", "MK-4482", "EIDD-280", "Efficacy" and "Safety". Details of published, unpublished with interim reports and ongoing studies of Molnupiravir in COVID-19 were retrieved, and a systematic review was performed. RESULTS: A total of 6 articles and 18 ongoing trials data were collected. Out of these, data from 4 published and 2 unpublished with interim reports were extracted. After review of these studies, it was observed that the daily dose of 1600 mg Molnupiravir for 5 days was safe and tolerable with nausea, diarrhea and headache as the common adverse effects. The results also showed significant decrease in time to viral clearance with 800 mg twice daily in mild patients and reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death by 50% in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Evidence from clinical studies showed that Molnupiravir caused significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk mild COVID-19 patients. Molnupiravir was also found to be well tolerated and safe without any major adverse events on short-term use. For confirmative use of this drug in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease, further studies are required in vaccinated COVID-19 patients and against emerging variants.

Everything real about unreal artificial intelligence in diabetic retinopathy and in ocular pathologies.

Artificial Intelligence is a multidisciplinary field with the aim of building platforms that can make machines act, perceive, reason intelligently and whose goal is to automate activities that presently require human intelligence. From the cornea to the retina, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to help ophthalmologists diagnose and treat ocular diseases. In ophthalmology, computerized analytics are being viewed as efficient and more objective ways to interpret the series of images and come to a conclusion. AI can be used to diagnose and grade diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, IOL power calculation, retinopathy of prematurity and keratoconus. This review article intends to discuss various aspects of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology.

Face Mask in COVID-19 and Its Association With Dry Eye Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: To determine whether wearing a face mask for more than three to six hours/day leads to the new onset of symptoms or worsening of pre-existing dry eye disease (DED) in healthcare workers (HCWs) of our institute. METHODOLOGY: An observational cross-sectional study, where 114 HCWs using face masks regularly participated voluntarily in the study. A survey with a modified Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was completed by participants. They were divided into groups based on their sex, age, how long they had been wearing face masks, and whether they had a history of DED. RESULTS: We found that for HCWs who had previously experienced DED and who were under the age of 40, wearing a face mask for more than three to six hours/day could contribute to or worsen symptoms of DED. Also, we observed that the N-95 mask has a higher chance of causing DED than surgical masks. CONCLUSION: Medical professionals need to be aware of any potential dry eye symptoms related to the prolonged use of a face mask. Additional consideration should be given to patients who already have DED. The possible concerns that incorrectly fitted facemasks may cause to the health of their ocular surface should be discussed with patients by ophthalmologists. Future research involving larger populations will shed light on the prevalence and scope of the mask-associated dry eye problem.