Search

Introduction: Various retinal implants are being developed and appear to be a promising option for improving the visual capacities of individuals with retinal dystrophy. A multidisciplinary approach to both assessment of a candidate’s factors and rehabilitation could contribute to improved activity and participation. The purpose of this study was (i) to document the approach taken by a multidisciplinary team in the candidate selection process and in training in the use of the Argus II retinal prosthesis system (RPS), and (ii) to examine the effects of the RPS on sensory and mental functions and on activity and participation. Methods: An A1-B1-A2-B2 experimental case report was used, with repeated measures pre- and post-rehabilitation program design. The A phases represent the periods with the system off, whereas the B phases represent the periods with the system on. A 65-year-old man with retinitis pigmentosa and total blindness was followed by a multidisciplinary team for over 18 months. After receiving the retinal implant, he benefited from a 10-week rehabilitation program (twice per week; B1 phase). Results: Globally, the RPS improved vision in the B phases when the system was on and visual acuity was stable at 2.3 logMAR (functional blindness). The participant’s mental and neuromusculoskeletal function scores were generally stable throughout the data collection periods. Lower performance on some measures at the end of phase B2 coincided with a negative mood. Discussion: Use of the RPS improved activity, but this did not transfer into greater participation in the living environment. Despite efforts made by the rehabilitation team to manage the user’s expectations concerning the RPS, the interventions reactivated his grieving over his vision loss. Implications for Practitioners: New technologies can make users dream of unrealistic possibilities, and managing their expectations requires problem solving supported by a multidisciplinary team.

Significance Charles Bonnet syndrome is commonly encountered and diagnosed in low-vision patients. It can be distressing for some of them, as there is no known effective treatment of this condition. Although there is a growing interest in retinal implants for blind patients with severe retinal diseases, the effect of these devices on Charles Bonnet syndrome visual hallucinations remains undocumented. Purpose The aim of this study was to report changes in the Charles Bonnet syndrome of a patient with retinitis pigmentosa after implantation of the Argus II retinal prosthesis. Case report A 65-year-old patient with retinitis pigmentosa and no light perception was frequently experiencing Charles Bonnet syndrome. In the hope of improving his vision, he received an Argus II retinal prosthesis in 2018 and participated in a 10-week rehabilitation program at the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille. The nature and the frequency of his Charles Bonnet syndrome were documented with the Questionnaire de reperage du syndrome de Charles Bonnet (a French questionnaire used to screen for Charles Bonnet syndrome) before the surgery and for 70 weeks after it. The patient's visual acuity and visual fields were monitored during the same period. Additional tests were administered to document the visual, psychological, and cognitive states of the patient throughout the study. Conclusions Although this case report confirmed that Argus II retinal prosthesis improves the performance of blind patients in visual tests, the improvement was not associated with a decrease in the symptoms of Charles Bonnet syndrome.

The indoor environment is the primary location for the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), largely driven by respiratory particle accumulation in the air and increased connectivity between the individuals occupying indoor spaces. In this study, we aimed to track a cohort of subjects as they occupied a COVID-19 isolation dormitory to better understand the impact of subject and environmental viral load over time, symptoms, and room ventilation on the detectable viral load within a single room. We find that subject samples demonstrate a decrease in overall viral load over time, symptoms significantly impact environmental viral load, and we provide the first real-world evidence for decreased aerosol SARS-CoV-2 load with increasing ventilation, both from mechanical and window sources. These results may guide environmental viral surveillance strategies and be used to better control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within built environments and better protect those caring for individuals with COVID-19.

L’hémianopsie homonyme se définit comme une perte congruente d’une moitié du champ visuel affectant les deux yeux. Elle est attribuable à une lésion cérébrale post-chiasmatique. Cette analyse de cas unique montre que l’utilisation de différentes aides optiques (lentilles de Peli, lunettes de lecture et loupes) et l’entraînement au balayage visuel permettent d’améliorer grandement l’autonomie et la qualité de vie d’un usager ayant une hémianopsie. Par souci d’efficience, la réadaptation fonctionnelle des défauts de champs visuels chez les aînés aurait avantage à se faire au sein d’une équipe multidisciplinaire qui inclut un optométriste.

Interstitial injection of radioactive isotopes has provided the urologist with a new approach to the treatment of advanced urological tumors. Radioactive colloidal gold (Au 198 ), reported by Flocks,* was the first isotope employed in far-advanced cancer of the prostate. Some investigators, using radioactive colloidal gold, have noted undesirable complications, such as radiation ulcer of the rectum or urinary bladder and depression of the hemopoietic system from the radiation of gold. 198 Experience with x-ray, radium, or radon-seed gamma radiation has shown damage to adjacent benign tissues. The fact that gamma or x-ray radiation cannot be confined within the tumor area has made most radiation therapists reluctant to treat urological cancers by this means. Thus, the question naturally arises, would a pure beta-emitting isotope, interstitially injected, provide local tumorcidal radiation without serious widespread reaction in the normal tissue (Table 1). Chromic phosphate (CrPO 4 ) containing radioactive phosphorus 32 was selected for