not in my life time.
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Looking Into the Future
Monday, November 18, 2002
By Michael Y. Park
NEW YORK - Just two generations ago, the blind were consigned to worlds
of darkness, with technology unable to do much to bring them sight. Now,
blind men
are driving cars -- almost.
"Five, 10, 15 years ago, this was Star Trek or Star Wars technology.
Blind men wearing big, stupid visors. We thought no one would be able to
do that, at
least not in this century," said Dr. Gerald Chader, chief scientific
officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. "Well, it's looking pretty
good, and
we may see this come to fruition in our lifetimes."
Of all the fronts scientists are fighting in their war against
blindness, the most press has gone to the work of Dr. William Dobelle, a
sports-car mechanic-turned-physiologist
who may have given a blind man enough vision to steer a car.
"There's no question in my mind that Dobelle is on the right track. It
was inspirational," said Dr. Eli A. Friedman, editor of the Journal of
the American
Society for Artificial Internal Organs and a longtime friend of
Dobelle's who witnessed the car driving. "It reminded me of (the books)
I read when I first
became enchanted with the romance of medicine. As Al Jolson used to say:
'You ain't heard nothing yet.'" Dobelle was unable to comment for this
story.
Dobelle's cortical implant does look very much like a cyborg contraption
from a science-fiction movie. The device plugs into a hole carved into
the back
of the patient's skull and connects to a video camera. The camera sends
visual information through the device, which stimulates the visual
portions of
the patient's brain, allowing him to "see" dots of light, or phosphenes.
The phosphenes, when arranged properly, could theoretically form crude
representations
of the real world, allowing the blind to see "maps" of what's in front
of them.
"It's not enough resolution to watch TV, but it's enough to ambulate,"
Friedman said.
But Chader was more cautious about Dobelle's work.
"Dobelle was not really forthright with any scientific disclosures," he
said. "He showed a video of one of his patients driving a car in a huge
parking
lot. Well, blindfold you or me and we could do that. I think the
evidence we have is very subjective and not objective, but we're eagerly
awaiting Dr.
Dobelle to give us more information."
Patricia Strombeck, a master's student at Hunter College in New York who
is studying to become a teacher for the blind, said that allowing a
once-blind
person to see is only the first step in helping them overcome visual
impairment.
"There would be some social adjustment period, because as a blind person
you develop your own sense of the world," she said. "There is definitely
a culture
there and some (different) social behaviors for people who are sighted
and people who aren't. They are different worlds."
In terms of advances in treatment for blindness, Chader is most
enthusiastic about gene therapy for inherited blindness. Testing in dogs
with inbred blindness
has proven extremely successful.
The poster dog for the disorder, known as Laber's Disease, was born
virtually sightless. The dog, Lancelot, bumped into furniture and was
unable to recognize
humans. Lancelot received gene treatment in one quarter of one eye two
and a half years ago. Now he can catch balls.
"A treatment, if not a cure, is in sight for blindness caused by genetic
disorders," Chader said.
Other promising areas include drug therapy to reinvigorate ailing
neurons and photoreceptors, chips implanted into the brain and in or on
the eye, and,
to a lesser degree, transplants of photoreceptor cells or other eye
tissue. There's even been big strides made in the prevention of certain
types of blindness
caused by nutritional deficiencies.
But Strombeck warned people from being unrealistically enthusiastic.
"You have to be careful about making sweeping statements about medical
treatments that help people regain sight, because they might not always
work," she
said. "But if it's something that's going to work, it's great."
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C Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright C 2002 Standard & Poor's
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Copyright FOX News Network, LLC 2002. All rights reserved.
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>FOXNews.com<BR>banners/logo_printer_friendly</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Looking Into the Future</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Monday, November 18, 2002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By Michael Y. Park</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>NEW YORK — Just two generations =
ago, the blind were=20
consigned to worlds of darkness, with technology unable to do much to =
bring them=20
sight. Now, blind men<BR>are driving cars -- almost.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Five, 10, 15 years ago, this was Star
=
Trek or Star=20
Wars technology. Blind men wearing big, stupid visors. We thought no one
=
would=20
be able to do that, at<BR>least not in this century," said Dr. Gerald =
Chader,=20
chief scientific officer of the Foundation Fighting Blindness. "Well, =
it's=20
looking pretty good, and<BR>we may see this come to fruition in our=20
lifetimes."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Of all the fronts scientists are =
fighting in their=20
war against blindness, the most press has gone to the work of Dr. =
William=20
Dobelle, a sports-car mechanic-turned-physiologist<BR>who may have given
=
a blind=20
man enough vision to steer a car.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"There's no question in my mind that =
Dobelle is on=20
the right track. It was inspirational," said Dr. Eli A. Friedman, editor
=
of the=20
Journal of the American<BR>Society for Artificial Internal Organs and a
=
longtime=20
friend of Dobelle's who witnessed the car driving. "It reminded me of =
(the=20
books) I read when I first<BR>became enchanted with the romance of =
medicine. As=20
Al Jolson used to say: 'You ain't heard nothing yet.'" Dobelle was =
unable to=20
comment for this story.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dobelle's cortical implant does look =
very much like=20
a cyborg contraption from a science-fiction movie. The device plugs into
=
a hole=20
carved into the back<BR>of the patient's skull and connects to a video =
camera.=20
The camera sends visual information through the device, which stimulates
=
the=20
visual portions of<BR>the patient's brain, allowing him to "see" dots of
=
light,=20
or phosphenes. The phosphenes, when arranged properly, could =
theoretically form=20
crude representations<BR>of the real world, allowing the blind to see =
"maps" of=20
what's in front of them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"It's not enough resolution to watch =
TV, but it's=20
enough to ambulate," Friedman said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But Chader was more cautious about =
Dobelle's=20
work.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"Dobelle was not really forthright with
=
any=20
scientific disclosures," he said. "He showed a video of one of his =
patients=20
driving a car in a huge parking<BR>lot. Well, blindfold you or me and we
=
could=20
do that. I think the evidence we have is very subjective and not =
objective, but=20
we're eagerly awaiting Dr.<BR>Dobelle to give us more =
information."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Patricia Strombeck, a master's student
=
at Hunter=20
College in New York who is studying to become a teacher for the blind, =
said that=20
allowing a once-blind<BR>person to see is only the first step in helping
=
them=20
overcome visual impairment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"There would be some social adjustment
=
period,=20
because as a blind person you develop your own sense of the world," she
=
said.=20
"There is definitely a culture<BR>there and some (different) social =
behaviors=20
for people who are sighted and people who aren't. They are different=20
worlds."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In terms of advances in treatment for =
blindness,=20
Chader is most enthusiastic about gene therapy for inherited blindness.
=
Testing=20
in dogs with inbred blindness<BR>has proven extremely =
successful.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The poster dog for the disorder, known
=
as Laber's=20
Disease, was born virtually sightless. The dog, Lancelot, bumped into =
furniture=20
and was unable to recognize<BR>humans. Lancelot received gene treatment
=
in one=20
quarter of one eye two and a half years ago. Now he can catch=20
balls.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"A treatment, if not a cure, is in =
sight for=20
blindness caused by genetic disorders," Chader said.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Other promising areas include drug =
therapy to=20
reinvigorate ailing neurons and photoreceptors, chips implanted into the
=
brain=20
and in or on the eye, and,<BR>to a lesser degree, transplants of =
photoreceptor=20
cells or other eye tissue. There's even been big strides made in the =
prevention=20
of certain types of blindness<BR>caused by nutritional=20
deficiencies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But Strombeck warned people from
being=20
unrealistically enthusiastic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"You have to be careful about making =
sweeping=20
statements about medical treatments that help people regain sight, =
because they=20
might not always work," she<BR>said. "But if it's something that's going
=
to=20
work, it's great."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Advertise on FOXNews.com<BR>Jobs at FOX
=
News=20
Channel.<BR>Internships at FOX News Channel.<BR>Terms of use.<BR>Privacy
=
Statement.<BR>For FOXNews.com comments write to<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A><
B=
R>; =20
For FOX News Channel comments write to<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A></FONT></DI
V=
>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>© Associated Press. All rights=20
reserved.<BR>Copyright © 2002 Standard & Poor's<BR>This =
material may not be=20
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Copyright FOX News Network, LLC 2002. =
All rights=20
reserved.<BR>All market data delayed 20 minutes. =
</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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