Retinal Dystrophies

The Vision Research and Assessment Institute (VRAI) was established with the purpose of serving as a testing facility for efficacy endpoints for patients with Low Vision. The mission of the VRAI is to enable the highest quality, standardized efficacy testing of patients with visual impairment. The VRAI facilitates the development and refinement of existing endpoints specifically for testing patients with Low Vision.

This prospective, observational investigation seeks to delineate the interplay between chromatic vision deficits and both functional visual outcomes and anatomical retinal biomarkers in individuals affected by Inherited Retinal Dystrophies (IRDs). The study will recruit approximately 200 subjects, encompassing a heterogeneous population of IRD patients-spanning a range of genotypes and clinical severities-as well as control participants devoid of retinal pathology. All enrolled individuals will undergo a standardized battery of evaluations, including quantitative color vision assessment, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) determination, and advanced multimodal retinal imaging. The principal aim is to characterize the relationship between impairments in color discrimination and morphologic disruptions within the outer retinal layers, with particular emphasis on the continuity and reflectivity of the ellipsoid zone (EZ)-historically referred to as the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction-assessed through spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Further, the study will explore associations between chromatic perceptual deficits and underlying genetic mutations, mutation patterns specific to IRD subtypes, and the influence of patient age on the severity and progression of color vision loss. A key secondary objective is the clinical appraisal and validation of a novel diagnostic modality, the Moji Low-Vision Color Discrimination Test (Moji Test), which is specifically engineered to quantify residual color perception in individuals with advanced central visual impairment. The test's discriminatory capacity will be benchmarked against established color vision testing paradigms to assess its reliability, clinical sensitivity, and suitability for implementation in populations with severe visual acuity reduction. By incorporating a genetically and phenotypically diverse IRD cohort, the study is designed to enable granular, stratified analyses that will refine the understanding of structural-functional correlations in hereditary retinal disease. The inclusion of a control group with preserved retinal architecture and normal color vision function will provide essential normative baselines for comparative evaluation and statistical inference.

The goal of this observational study is to utilize a novel imaging system designed for high-resolution retinal imaging of neonates, infants and children to identify the signs of photoreceptor development and degeneration in children with early-onset inherited retinal dystrophies (EORDs). Participants will have research imaging with SS-HH-OCT at the time of clinically-indicated eye examinations or procedures. The investigators aim to establish the basis for utilization of OCT imaging in earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring in children with EORDs. This work will set data reference standards and IRD endpoints that can be used in clinical trials.

Oral disulfiram (Antabuse®) has been shown to improve image-forming vision in animal models with retinal degeneration due to its ability to decrease Retinoic Acid synthesis and consequently reduce hyperactivity in the inner retina. The investigator will aim to evaluate the impact of oral disulfiram on the vision of patients with retinal degeneration who are being treated with the drug in the management of their concurrent alcohol use disorder.

This study aims to prepare for the first-in-human clinical trial of cone optogenetics vision restoration. As a first step, this worldwide multicenter ocular imaging study (EyeConic Study) is performed to identify eligible patients.

The Vision Research and Assessment Institute (VRAI) was established with the purpose of serving as a testing facility for efficacy endpoints for patients with Low Vision. The mission of the VRAI is to enable the highest quality, standardized efficacy testing of patients with visual impairment. The VRAI facilitates the development and refinement of existing endpoints specifically for testing patients with Low Vision.

Objective perimetry can better monitor visual field defects in retinal dystrophy and Glaucoma patients than conventional subjective perimetry. The PLR ( Pupil Light Reflex to short and long wavelength stimuli should be significantly lower compared to healthy participants in areas of visual field defects in retinal dystrophy and Glaucoma patients.