Top blogs of 2023: Neurotrophins, concussion recovery, LASIK

Throughout the year, Healio publishes a host of blogs on topics ranging from common conditions like keratoconus and glaucoma to crossover care that includes concussion management and diseases of the brain.

Here, we share our top blogs of 2023, submitted by expert clinicians in private practice and academia.

BLOG: Neurotrophins hold the key to unlock diseases of the brain, eye

As a neuroscientist, biochemist and molecular biologist, I’m interested in the biosynthesis and regulation of neurotrophic factors, including nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is an important neurotrophic factor for the survival of axons —the nerve fibers that transmit electrical impulses away from the body of a nerve cell, or neuron — to communicate with other neurons, and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for brain plasticity, the process that allows the brain to continually make and break synapses. Read more.

BLOG: Returning to school after concussion may help speed recovery in children

The conventional wisdom that children who suffer a concussion should have total physical and cognitive rest until their symptoms resolve is increasingly being proven inaccurate.

In fact, several studies have already confirmed that light activity can speed recovery (Leddy et al; Ledoux et al). Read more.

BLOG: Ophthalmic contraindications to LASIK, PRK range from ectasia to cataracts

Not all patients are good candidates for LASIK or PRK, and it is critical for optometrists to be clear about the reasons why.

In this third installment of a three-part series on absolute and relative contraindications, we cover ophthalmic conditions. Parts one and two covered life and systemic considerations. Read more.

BLOG: When to treat band keratopathy

Like spotting a tube of Preparation H in your mother-in-law’s bathroom, band keratopathy is a common finding that can give profound insights into a patient’s systemic situation.

We all see this condition frequently, but many eye care providers do not understand its significance — especially its frequent association with diseases that lead to extreme levels of calcium in the blood. Read more.

BLOG: What’s the connection between myopia and glaucoma?

With the growing prevalence of myopia and concern about its long-term complications, many optometrists are offering myopia management for pediatric patients, to hopefully limit the progression of their myopia.

It is estimated that by 2050, about half the world’s population will be myopic, and 10%, or 938 million people, will have high myopia (Holden et al). Myopia — and especially high myopia — increases the risk for retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, cataract and open-angle glaucoma (Haarman et al). Read more.

BLOG: What does ‘rare’ actually mean when communicating with patients?

When you tell a patient that complications for their upcoming surgery are “rare” or that it is “uncommon” for their disease to result in blindness, do you know what you’re actually telling them?

Many doctors do not realize that the language of medical risk is precisely defined and that using the incorrect adjective could result in a communication failure or poor medical decision. Read more.

BLOG: Glaucoma care demands shift to medical-model optometry, medical billing

As our population size increases and grows older, treatment of ocular disease will become more prominent in optometric practices. Consequently, the percentage of revenue generated by medical management will grow.

For glaucoma patients, specifically, this is a result of the higher level of diagnostic testing and visit frequency required. To maximize profitability and properly care for these patients, it is vital to ensure accurate billing and consistent scheduling of follow-up appointments. Read more.