Tuesday 23 November 2010

Stem cell treatment could help the blind

People suffering from Stargardt's macular degeneration, where the  retina cells at the back of eye are destroyed in early childhood may soon be able to have injections of embryonic stem cells with the hope of repairing damaged photo-sensitive cells.

Clinical trials have been given the go ahead, in only the second group of people in the world to receive stem cells derived from spare IVF embryos left over from fertility treatment.  Pro-life groups are against the use of stem-cells taken from embrionic "potential human lives". 

The trails could place take early next year and although they are designed to test the safety of the treatment in humans, improvement in the sight of patients may also become aparent within the first six weeks.

It is believed that medicine could be revolutionished by stem cell treatment due to their ability to repir tissue and organs with-in the body without need for transplant. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer
 of US technology firm Advanced Cell Technology, the company conducting the trails, said "We've tested these cells in animal models of eye disease. In rats, we've seen 100 per cent improvement in visual performance over untreated animals without any adverse effects,"
 
Click here to read the news story from The Independent

Monday 22 November 2010

Prosthetic retinas help blind mice see

Trials of prosthetic retinas in mice have given hope that people with vision loss due to retinal degeneration or damage could regain their sight.  Previous attempts at prosthetic retinas have only managed to relay simple pixilated shapes and patterns to the brain from the photoreceptors at the back of the eye.  The current research by Sheila Nirenberg and colleagues at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York has produced a visual information sent to the brain similar to that of healthy eyes.

When light enters a healthy retina it activates light-sensitive photoreceptors which process and send information to ganglion cells.  These cells transmit a pattern of electrical activity to the brain, which interprets the image.  Previous attempts at prosthetic retinas stimulate the ganglion cells directly.  However they don't use the patterns or "codes" that the cells use to send messages to the brain so only simple messages can be transmitted.

Nirenberg's team compared the signals going into healthy mice retinas with the output from ganglion cells, and produced an algorithm to recreate this "code".  Then using gene therapy they transfered the protein channelrhodopsin into the ganglion cells of blind mice, in order to make them responsive to light.  A computer processor, using Nirenberg's algorithm, encodes images from a tiny video campera imbedded into a pair of glasses rapid light pulses shone into the eye.

The ganglion cells treated with channelrhodopsin send signals to the brain in the normal way.  As the image is already "encoded" the brain sees a much more detailed image than images sent directly to the ganglion cells.  By analysing the  ganglion cell output from blind mice with prosthetic retinas compared to this of normally sighted mice it was shown that the output resembled each other, suggesting the technique presented a clearer image than old prostheics.

As people with retinal degeneration's retinas no longer send visual information to the brain, these prosethetics could be a way of restoring the sight of people with damaged retinas.  Though human trials have yet to be carried out, the research is an exciting prospect for many people suffering loss of vision due to retinal degerneration.

For the full story from New Scientist click this link:
New Scientist "Blind mice can see where they run" article

Sunday 21 November 2010

First three weeks at the RNCB

Well I've been at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNCB) for three weeks now and I'm settling in nicely.  After a year in limbo after being officially diagnosed as visually impaired and finding myself unable to work, I am finally studying at the UK's premier establishment for education and training for the blind and visually impaired.

Getting here:

I found out about the college at the beginning of the year via my local Action for Blind People branch.  After visiting the college on an open day in April and seeing it's excellent facilities,  I decided the RNCB would be a great way to train for work in an area I was interested in and not disimilar to what I had done before (broadcasting graphic design).  I would apply for a course in Music Technology and Media Production.

After many chats with my local DEA (Disabity Employment Advisor) to arrange funding, I had an assessment at the college in August to see if my disabilty was appropriate for the college, that the place would be suitable for my needs, and it would be useful for me to gaining future employment (the whole point in the college).  I spent two days here, being put up in the college's lovely accododation block, with a comprehensive day of interviews by staff from different section of the college.  Though quite intense, the staff made me and the other assessees feel very welcome and that everything was being done to make sure coming to the college would be the right thing for both parties.

So after a few months of finaising funding so that I was able to stay at the residential college whilst keeping my flat back home and benefits for everyday living  (ESA Employment Support Allowance etc) and a CRB (Criminal Records Background) check to see if I was suitable to attend a college with 16 year old plus students, I was given a start date of November 1st.

The first week:

Having been dropped off by my parents on Monday afternoon with all my stuff, I was shown to my "lodge", the accomodation I'd be staying in.  The lodge is like a holiday chalet, with four small bedrooms, a living room, dining area, fully fitted kitchen and two bathrooms.  Not big but plenty of room.  I was alone for a few hours to sort my stuff out before one of my lodgemates turned up, back from half term.  I'd met Jamie (also studying Music Tech) before, when I'd first visited the college for the first time.  Nice to see a friendly face and we spent the everning chatting about the ins and outs of college life.  Because of the roll on/roll off nature of the college people can start at different times.  Jamie had started the beginning of term in September.

I also visited the refectory, where three meals a day are available for students (up to a certain value before you have to pay extra but you get plenty).  Being in a lodge we have breakfast things (cereals, bread, milk, juice) provided at the lodge.  The food is standard canteern style, perfectly edible and with a choice of a few hot meals and sandwiches and some wonderful puddings!  I certainly won't starve here.

All of Tuesday was spent being told all about the college, health and safety, diversity, rules etc.  We were also given an introduction to the college gym.  A long day in all and we were given a provisional timetable.  As well as Music Tech, I had been expecting Braille training, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Mobility (white cane training), these would be timetabled in at a later date.  It all seemed a bit chaotic but I expected it to settle down.

For the rest of the week the lectures started properly (as well as having an iduction at the gym and seeing the nurse for a brief chat about any medical needs and a quick health check).  Having started half way through term, I got a bit worried being thrown in and being told to mic up a drum kit "like you were shown before half term"!  There'd be a lot of catching up to do.  Luckily as the weeks have gone on the lecturers have gone over everything again, reinforcing that had been learned before.  Everything is explained well and I found that a lot in music/sound recording are similar to principles in the visual world (ie compression in sound is like adjusting the levels in a photo in Photoshop) so I'm able to correlate the two and understand it easier.

Settling in:

After a few days, Mobility and ICT were added to the gaps in my timetable and after a lot of hassle (with the college netword not liking Windows Vista and having to upgrade to Windows 7) I could finally get back in contact with the real world from my lodge on the WiFi network (and being connected to the college intranet, email and notice boards).  I'm still waiting to get onto the Braille course, which is frustrating as I think it's going to be the thing I struggle with the most, being a completely new way of thinking.  I see a personal tutor every week and he's on the case.

My other two lodgemates appeared too.  Both totally blind, Kevin is on the same couse as me, a similar age to me and with a guide dog.  I met Owen before at the assessment, a young guy on the Sports Therapy course who is also a keen blind footballer, on the Hereford team and fringes of the England squad.  A nice bunch of guys (as are most of the people around campus and on the course) we have a good laugh.  More to follow on living amongst other blind and VI people.

There aren't quite as many activities available as advertised (or I still haven't found out where they are announced: communication of such things are quite difficult to find (especially difficult before I was online).  Still, I've visited the student bar (The Dog and Cane) a few times and there's always something going on in the other lodges or with other students.  I've walked into Hereford city centre a few times (checking out one of the pubs yesterday!) and there was even a fundraising event for Children in Need this weekend, with a live band. 

I'm certainly settled in now and understand things more in Music Tech.  On my first long white cane training in Mobility I was told I was picking it up very quickly and I think I'm picking up Jaws screen reading software well in ICT (though they are skills I hope I'll never need, if my vision stablises).  Life is very different after living alone for a while, not working, student life again so many years on and being around blind people, but I'll be exploring that in future blog posts.

Thursday 11 November 2010

The Royal National College for the Blind

After 10 days trying to get my computer onto the college network I am finally free to write a post about the college I am attending.  Before I post anything about my time here I will give you a brief history of the place.

The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC or RNCB) is the UK's leading college of further education and training for people with sight loss.  A residential college, it offers academic qualifications or vocational training in a wide range of award winning courses for people from the ages of 16 to 65.  As well as aiming to help the blind and visually into the workplace it also offers courses on independent living, mobility  and basic everyday skills.  It is also home to the UK's first academy of football for the visually impaired and the England Blind Football team, hosting this years World Blind Football Championship and being on of thge training venues for the 2012 Paralympics.

Relocations:

Having a number of homes before settling in it's current location in Hereford, Herefordshire, the RNC was founded as the "Royal Normal College and Academy for the Blind" in London in 1871 by philathropist and physician Thomas Armatage and the American anti-slave campaigner,  Joseph Cambell, who himself lost his sight at an early age.  Unhappy that British schools didn't provide skills for thbe blind they set up the college to train students to become piano tuners and music teachers.

The college was seen as very progressive and experimental and quickly outgrew it's original premisis in  Anerley Hill near Crystal Palace so moved to larger accododation in Upperf Norwood.  Campbell was the first Principal of the college, bing knighted for services to the blind.  Queen Victoria was it's oroginal patron.

During the Second World War the college was relocated to tempory accomodation, first in Kent then Dorton, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.  The London site was used as a hospital during the war and was bombed in the Blitz, meaning a new permanent lolcation was needed, so they bought Roqton Castle and other buildings near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.  Before the war the college accepted students aged 11 to 15 year old but after the war a college in Worcester took the secondary student whilst RNC would retain students over 16.

The college remained in ther Shrewsbury area until 1978 when it moved to it's current location in Hereford, taking over the former Hereford College of Education teacher training college, which had the advantage of having the teaching and residential accomodation on one campus.  It was officially opened by Prince Charles in 1979.

Through the 2000's the accomadtion was completely referbished and new modern halls of residence were built, along with an outdorr sports pitch,  sports and complimentary therapy building added.  In 2009 "thePoint4" complex opened, with sports development fudning, a venue for the 2010 World Blind Football Championship which includes conerference facilities, gym and bistro.

Learning and training:


Over the years the college has changed it's courses depending on the nature of the times.  Piano tuning, once seen as a stable job for the blind, has been reduced with more vocational courses coming in to help students cope and navigate the modern world.  Training in computers and other skills for the working office sit alongside courses such as music technology and media, business, art and design, performance art, massage and complimentary therapy.  Basic English amd Numeracy are also offered for students who struggled with learning in conventional schools.

AS and A Levels, BTEC and ITEC qualifivations can  be gained, though many students train in purely vocational subjects to gain valuable experience for the workplace.  In fact the college's goal is to help people into the work place, offering help, advice and encouragement at the end of the course eto find work placements either at the colloege itself or at the students home area.

College life and accomodation:

Students stay in accomodation on cumpus, either an en-suite room in halls of residence or sharing a "lodge" with 3 others.  Lodges are chalet style buildings for the more with more independent living skills, with two bathrooms, living room and kitchen.  Warden's check on students everyday, sorting out any problems encountered.  Cleaners visit every day and clean bedding provided every fortnight.  Staff are on hand at all times for xourse related or everyyday problems.  There are even nurses on site.  Everything needed for the blind and visually impaiered is catered for as well as provision of other disabilities.

Cooking facilities are available at the accomodation but the refectory serves three meals a day, offering a few choces of hot meals and sandwiches, all funded by the student's local authority, (as are the courses the accomodation).

The college has a Student Union subsidised bar (The Dog and Cane) with students DJing most nights and a pool table.  Activities such as an art club and creative writing are available and students can use the spa and gym facilities so there is plenty going on.  Students can also take advantage of travel warrents paid for by the college to return home at weekends every two weeks if they want to keep in touch with their home life.  And of course there's always the city of Hereford to explore.

Visit the RNC web site for more details by clicking here