Clinical Research Directory

Brain Stimulation Effects on Orientation and Mobility Skills in Adults With Vision Impairment

This pilot clinical trial evaluates whether non-invasive brain stimulation improves the orientation and mobility (O\&M) skills of individuals with constricted visual fields in both eyes. The study is composed of three visits. The first visit is meant to confirm eligibility by performing a few clinical tests. Eligible participants will then complete two additional visits, one in which the participants receive active stimulation, and one in which the participants receive placebo (sham) stimulation. Stimulation will be administered in a randomized, double-blind order. To evaluate improvement, various measures of O\&M performance will be assessed on a standardized obstacle course featuring static natural and artificial obstacles at defined intervals after the intervention. The investigators hypothesize that the application of brain stimulation to region of the brain responsible for visual processing will improve the orientation and mobility skills of individuals with binocular constricted visual fields immediately following stimulation, and the results will inform the design of a future, larger-scale study.

Adaptive Optics Imaging of Outer Retinal Diseases

The objective of the study is to collect adaptive optics (AO) retinal images from human subjects with outer retinal diseases (diseases of the outer retina including photoreceptor, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), basement membrane or choroidal pathologies) to develop new diagnostic methods, biomarkers, and clinical endpoints.