Clinical Trials

• Bangerter Filters versus Daily Patching for the Treatment of Moderate Amblyopia in Children
  The purpose of this study is to compare treatment of moderate amblyopia in children. The treatment of amblyopia involves making the child use the eye with the worse vision ("weak eye"). This is most often done either by having the child wear a patch over the "good" eye or by putting an eye drop called atropine in the good eye to blur the vision. Amblyopia can also be treated by putting a piece of plastic, called a Bangerter filter, on the glasses lens in front of the good eye. It is not known if the filter works as well as a patch, which is what this study aims to determine.The National Eye Institute is providing the funding for the study.
  

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• Comparison of Keratoplasty Techniques for Corneal Endothelial Decompensation
  This study is being done to compare the outcomes of different corneal transplantation techniques. Specifically, we wish to compare which technique results in better vision, faster visual recovery, and longer transplanted cell survival. The surgical techniques to be compared are DLEK (deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty), DSEK (Descemet stripping with endothelial keratoplasty), and PK (penetrating keratoplasty).
  

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• Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial
  The purpose of the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT) is to compare treatments for an eye-teaming problem called convergence insufficiency in order to compare commonly used treatments. The research study is conducted at several institutions across the United States and is supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 208 patients will be entered into the study and cared for by participating eye doctors.
  

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• Daily Patching Plus Daily Atropine for Residual Amblyopia in Children
  The purpose of this study is to determine the best treatment of amblyopia, or "lazy eye." The treatment of amblyopia involves making the child use the eye with the reduced vision ('weak eye'). This is often done by having a child wear a patch over the 'good' eye. It is also done by putting an eye drop called atropine in the good eye to blur the vision. Although vision usually improves with treatment, many children do not reach normal vision. When the vision stops improving with one of these treatments, some eye doctors decrease the treatment and then stop it completely. Other doctors try methods such as using both a patch and the eye drop at the same time. We are seeking to determine if this combined treatment will improve vision.A grant from the National Eye Institute is funding the study.
  

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• Mapping Novel Genes for Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy
  This study is being done to collect information from Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) patients and their family members so that researchers can explore the genetic likelihood that would cause a person to develop FECD.The National Eye Institute (NEI) is funding the study.
  

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• Quality of Life in Childhood Strabismus
  A brief questionnaire for the child and one for the parent explores the difficulties in dealing with Intermittent Exotropia, an out turning eye. The information will be helpful for assessing the full implact of this condition on children and their parents.
  

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• The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2)
  This study is being done to learn what role nutritional pills with lutein and zeaxanthin and/or omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and icosapentaenoic acid (EPA), play in preventing or slowing the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract.This study is supported by the National Eye Institute, part of the federal government's National Institutes of Health.
  

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• Treatment Algorithms for Pigment Epithelial Detachments Treated with Intraocular Lucentis
  The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a benefit to visual acuity (the sharpness of vision) with continued treatment of wet age-related macacular degeneration (AMD) until retinal pigment epithelial detachment (RPED) fully resolves, to determine how long it takes for the swelling in the retina and then RPED to flatten following the initiation of Lucentis therapy, and to determine how long these improvements last after the last treatment. The study drug being tested blocks a substance (vascular endothelial growth factor) that is thought to promote the formation of abnormal blood vessels responsible for loss of vision in subjects with wet AMD.
  

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