Parkinson's eye damage hope
Recent studies by the team show near infra-red light can protect the retina of the eye from toxins which attack its nerve cells. Image: Vaaka/iStockphoto Vision scientists have discovered a new avenue for the treatment of vision loss, one of complications of Parkinson’s disease.Gentle, non-invasive treatment with a soft infra-red light can potentially protect and heal the damage that occurs to the human retina in in Parkinson’s disease, says Professor Jonathan Stone from The Vision Centre and The University of Sydney.“Near infra-red light (NIR) treatment has long been known to promote the healing of wounds in soft tissues such as skin. Our recent studies are showing that it can also protect the retina of the eye from toxins which attack its nerve cells,” Professor Stone says.“We have been studying a mouse ‘model’ of Parkinson’s disease, in which such a toxin is used to create a Parkinson-like condition. The toxin targets brain cells...