occurs when the brain does not recognize visual signals from one eye and favors the other eye. nei has supported research into effective treatment for amblyopia, including: amblyopia treatment in older children: this study aimed to evaluate whether children older than 7 years with amblyopia could benefit from the treatments used in younger children (prescription eyeglasses, patching, and atropine eye drops). the results showed that older children whose amblyopia was not corrected with eyeglasses alone can benefit from patching or atropine eye drops—especially if they did not get treatment for amblyopia earlier in childhood. amblyopia treatment studies: these studies examined several methods of treating amblyopia, including prescription eyeglasses, patching, and atropine eye drops. the results showed that: wearing prescription eyeglasses is effective for some children with amblyopia, though others also need occlusion treatment, like patching. increasing the daily duration of patching can increase the effectiveness of correction with eyeglasses. using atropine eye drops daily is as effective as patching for at least six hours per day. wearing a bangerter filter (a sticker attached to an eyeglass lens to make it opaque) full time is as effective as patching for two hours per day. patching regimens to treat severe amblyopia: an nei-funded study showed that six hours of daily patching was as effective as full-time patching in treating severe amblyopia in children. pediatric vision scanner for amblyopia screening: nei funded the development of blinq, a handheld device that easily and accurately screens children for amblyopia. corneal stromal keratitis corneal stromal keratitis or herpetic simplex keratitis is inflammation of the cornea caused by herpes infection of the eye. nei-funded research led to a breakthrough in treatment for this condition: acyclovir prevention trial: this multicenter, randomized clinical trial was part of a larger study called the herpetic eye disease study (heds). it investigated whether the oral antiviral drug acyclovir would prevent herpes infection of the eye from recurring. the study showed that acyclovir reduced the recurrence of both herpes infection of the eye and corneal stromal keratitis, a severe form of the disease. optic nerve diseases optic nerve diseases, like optic neuropathy and optic neuritis, can damage the connection between the eye and the visual processing centers of the brain and cause vision loss. nei has supported studies on the treatment of optic nerve disease, including: ischemic optic neuropathy decompression trial: this study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of optic nerve decompression surgery to treat nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy. it found that compared with careful follow-up, this surgery was not beneficial in treating this condition. optic neuritis treatment trial: this study assessed the efficacy of oral prednisone alone or intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone for treating optic neuritis, which is frequently associated with multiple sclerosis. the results showed that patients who received intravenous methylprednisolone recovered their vision faster than those who received oral prednisone and had a much lower risk of experiencing optic neuritis again. retinopathy of prematurity retinopathy of prematurity happens when abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina and cause vision loss and blindness in babies who are premature or who weigh less than 3 pounds at birth. nei has supported studies investigating the treatment and progression of retinopathy of prematurity, including: cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity trial: this study measured the effectiveness of cryotherapy in preventing vision loss in babies with retinopathy of prematurity. it showed that cryotherapy could prevent vision loss without risking babies' future ability to see. early treatment of retinopathy of prematurity study: this study aimed to help doctors use certain eye characteristics to predict which babies would benefit from early treatment with cryotherapy to prevent severe vision loss later in life. the results showed that weekly examinations made it possible to identify infants who would benefit from early treatment. effects of light reduction on retinopathy of prematurity trial: this study measured the effect of reduced light exposure in babies with retinopathy of prematurity. it showed that light exposure does not significantly affect premature babies' risk for developing retinopathy of prematurity. supplemental therapeutic oxygen for prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity) trial: this study aimed to determine what effect, if any, supplemental oxygen therapy has on how retinopathy of prematurity progresses in premature babies. it showed that supplemental oxygen does not cause moderate illness to become severe, so there is no need to restrict the use of oxygen therapy in babies with moderate retinopathy of prematurity. telemedicine approaches to evaluating acute-phase retinopathy of prematurity trial: this study measured whether trained medical staff at a remote image reading center could use retinal photos to identify babies with retinopathy of prematurity as accurately as ophthalmologists examining babies in person. the results showed that the trained medical staff were almost as accurate as ophthalmologists at identifying retinopathy of prematurity in premature babies. they also found nearly half of advanced cases 15 days earlier, on average, than ophthalmologists. retinitis pigmentosa retinitis pigmentosa refers to a group of genetic eye diseases that cause cells in the retina to degenerate, leading to impaired night vision and loss of peripheral vision. nei has supported research into therapies that slow disease progression, including: gene therapy: in a canine model, nei-funded research showed that gene therapy prevented vision loss in late-stage retinitis pigmentosa by stopping the thinning of the retinal layer (where photoreceptors are located) and preserving the surviving photoreceptors. uveitis uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye between the sclera and the retina. nei has supported several studies to examine the causes of uveitis, including: first-line antimetabolites as steroid-sparing treatment trial: this study compared two steroid-sparing immunosuppressant treatments for uveitis: methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil. it showed that methotrexate is at least as effective as mycophenolate at treating uveitis. multicenter uveitis steroid treatment trial: this study compared two treatments for uveitis: steroid and immunosuppressant pills and a steroid eye implant (fluocinolone acetonide implant). this study showed that for most people with uveitis, treatment with steroid and immunosuppressant pills is safer and more effective than steroid implants. periocular vs. intravitreal corticosteroids for uveitic macular edema trial: this study compared three treatments for uveitic macular edema, a common complication of uveitis: periocular (near the eye) triamcinolone acetonide shots, intravitreal (inside the eye) triamcinolone acetonide shots, and intravitreal shots to place implants that slowly release dexamethasone inside the eye. this study showed that intravitreal delivery of either steroid was more effective than periocular delivery at controlling uveitic macular edema and preserving vision. uveitis and t cells: nei researchers studied gut bacteria and how it protects the body's natural flora to learn more about how immune cells attack the eye in autoimmune eye diseases like uveitis. the study showed that the activation of immune cells, also known as t cells, to attack the eye is affected by gut bacteria. these results shed light on the causes of uveitis and other autoimmune diseases. leber congenital amaurosis leber congenital amaurosis is a rare inherited eye disease that impairs vision starting in infancy. nei supported work leading to a gene therapy for one type of this disease: rpe65 gene therapy: nei-funded research led to the discovery of the rpe65 gene and a gene therapy for leber congenital amaurosis associated with an rpe65 gene mutation. this gene makes a protein in the retinal pigment epithelium. in a clinical trial testing the gene therapy, patients with the gene mutation received healthy rpe65 genes by injection. participants reported an improved ability to see in dim light within days of the treatment, and researchers found evidence of improved eyesight and retinal sensitivity. in december 2017, luxturna became the first directly administered gene therapy approved in the united states that targets a disease caused by mutations in a specific gene. it was approved for the treatment of patients with confirmed biallelic rpe65 mutation-associated retinal dystrophy that leads to vision loss and may cause complete blindness in certain patients. technology development nei has invested in the development of technologies to support diagnosis and management. a few examples of this investment include: laser therapies: nei has contributed to the development and evaluation of medical laser treatments to treat amd, glaucoma, and myopia (nearsightedness), and other refractive errors. noninvasive imaging: nei-funded researchers supported the development of optical coherence tomography, a technology that allows doctors to see the tissues inside the eye in real time without surgery. with optical coherence tomography, doctors can look for early signs of eye diseases and monitor how a patient's disease progresses or responds to treatment. education and outreach activities part of nei's mission is to educate health care providers, scientists, policymakers, and the public about advances in vision research and their impact on health and quality of life. this effort is led by nei’s national eye health education program. national eye health education program nei created the national eye health education program to educate professionals and the public about the importance of eye health. the program partners with more than 60 national organizations representing health professionals, educators, and patients in accomplishing this mission. it also oversees public and professional education programs on diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, vision rehabilitation, special population outreach, and vision and aging—with a focus on individuals and populations at higher risk of eye health disorders, including older people, those with diabetes, black/african american people, and hispanic/latino people. the program also draws on research supported by nih and nei to identify other populations at risk (e.g., asian american people, residents of rural communities) and to produce educational materials for professional and public audiences. it emphasizes the importance of early detection and timely treatment of eye disease and the benefits of vision rehabilitation. the program also aims to increase awareness among health professionals and the public of science-based health information that can be applied to preserving sight and preventing blindness.