NAION

A drug used to treat lazy eye also may benefit patients with a nerve condition that causes sudden vision loss, according to research published in the 1996 January issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology. University of Missouri-Columbia physician Lenworth N. Johnson, MD, led the study, which looked at the effects of Levodopa on patients who suffer from nonarteritic anterior ischemic (is-KEY-mick) optic neuropathy (noo-ROP-uh-thee) or NAION. NAION is the leading cause of sudden vision loss in people over 50, yet researchers have discovered no effective treatments for it until now, says Johnson, professor of Ophthalmology and Neurology at the MU School of Medicine. A national study that looked at decompression surgery as a potential treatment for NAION was halted in February 1995 after results indicated that the procedure might cause more harm than good. "This condition can steal the joy from someone's retirement years," Johnson says. "Not only does it affect how well a person can read or drive, but it also affects how well they can move around the house or go to the grocery store."

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