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In eyes with diffuse diabetic macular edema vitrectomy seems to be effective, but additional ILM peeling presented better results.

Vestibular and neck proprioceptive signals are known to be used in judging the locations of objects in space and relative to the body. Given that these signals are asymmetric in patients with spasmodic torticollis, one would expect such patients to have abnormal spatial perception. We tested this idea by measuring patients' perception of visual straight ahead (VSA) under various conditions: with the body in its primary position, i.e. with the head and trunk as closely aligned as possible, and after well defined passive rotations of the head and/or trunk. In the primary body position, patients' VSA direction showed considerable variations which were similar, however, to those of normal subjects; it was independent of torticollis direction, of the head torque it produced, and of the weak spontaneous nystagmus recorded in seven of the 10 patients. After whole-body rotations, i.e. where head and trunk underwent the same motion, the VSA was shifted in both patients and normal subjects, and in both groups the shift was symmetrical after rotations to the right or left. After motions where the trunk rotated under the stationary head (neck proprioceptive stimulation) or the head on the stationary trunk (combined vestibular and neck stimulus), the VSAs of normal subjects coincided rather well with their head midsagittal planes, whereas the VSAs of patients were shifted considerably towards the trunk, again in a symmetrical way. We suggest two mechanisms to explain the findings in patients: (i) a central compensation which restores symmetry of the afferent inflow in the patients (unlike the motor efference); (ii) shifting of the reference for the VSA from the head towards the trunk, because the trunk is a more reliable egocentric reference than the head in the patients. Our findings do not support the assumption that asymmetries in afferent inflow are responsible for the asymmetry of motor output in spasmodic torticollis.

ABSTRACT.Purpose: To investigate if ocular surface and precorneal tear film are influenced by the environment. Method: We studied the environmental influences on the ocular surface using the tests Break-up time, Schirmer-1 test and Rose Bengal staining. We correlated the values of the above tests among three groups of normal people from different places in Greece with different climates and levels of atmospheric pollution. Group A consisted of 57 persons coming from an area with a dry and warm climate and heavy atmospheric pollution. Group B consisted of 55 normal persons coming from an area with a dry and warm climate and a low level of atmospheric pollution. Group C consisted of 55 persons coming from an area with a humid and cool climate and a low level of atmospheric pollution. Results: Schirmer-1 test and Break-up time are influenced by the climatic conditions but they are not influenced by the atmospheric pollution, while Rose Bengal staining is not influenced either by the climate or by the atmospheric pollution. Conclusion:The precorneal tear film is much more influenced by the climatic conditions than by the atmospheric pollution.