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Biomedical subjects

H Rouhiainen

Publications and source records attributed to H Rouhiainen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Visual function in professional truck drivers.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the visual function of professional truck drivers at working age to find out whether older drivers had any defective function and should therefore be given less demanding duties at work. METHODS: Of the 100 drivers invited to the study, 77 came to the examination, including 74 men and 3 women aged from 30 to 66 years (mean 50.3+/-10.3 years). In addition to the basic eye examination, visual fields, dark adaptation, contrast sensitivity, color vision, and glare sensitivity were studied. RESULTS: Two drivers (2.6%) had an incipient cataract in one eye, four (5.2%) had slight fundus abnormalities, five (6.5%) had exo- or esotropia, and five (6.5%) had amblyopia. Visual acuity in the better eye varied from 0.4 to 1.2 (mean 1.06+/-0.17) and in the other eye from 0.1 to 1.2 (mean 0.96+/-0.23). Five drivers (6.5%) had inadequate visual acuity for a professional driver's license. Visual fields were interpreted as normal in all drivers. The results of the dark-adaptation, contrast-sensitivity, and glare testing showed values within normal ranges for all drivers. In the color-vision tests, five male drivers (6.8% of the men) had a slight congenital green defect, and two drivers had an acquired blue defect in one eye because of cataract and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: According to the present study, there is no need to give older drivers less demanding duties because of their eyes. However, one serious finding in the present study needs attention: the visual acuity was lower than that required for a professional driver's license in five drivers. Evidently, more regular checkups of visual acuity are needed for a professional driver's license.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1997

The impact of early lens opacity progression on visual acuity and refraction.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the change in visual acuity and refraction taking place in eyes with progressing early lens opacities. Four hundred and ten hypercholesterolemic men in Eastern Finland who participated in the Kuopio Atherosclerosis Prevention Study were followed up for 3 years. Lens opacities were graded using the lens opacity classification system II (LOCS II). The change of visual acuity and refractive error from baseline to a 36-month examination was compared for different types of lens opacities. During the 3-year period, progression in the LOCS II was observed in 9.2% of the eyes for nuclear, in 4.8% for cortical and in 0.5% of the eyes for posterior subcapsular opacities. Increasing nuclear sclerosis reduced visual acuity statistically significantly both with and without correction. Hypermetropization was seen to continue in eyes with no lens opacity progression. Myopization was more common in eyes with lens opacity progression, although this was not statistically significant.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Association between low plasma vitamin E concentration and progression of early cortical lens opacities.

The authors evaluated the association between plasma vitamin E content and progression of eye lens opacities. A total of 410 hypercholesterolemic eastern Finnish men participated in the study from January 1990 to September 1993 in Kuopio, Finland. Lens opacities were classified three times at 18-month intervals using the Lens Opacities Classification System II. A low plasma vitamin E level (lowest quartile) was associated with a 3.7-fold excess risk (95% confidence interval 1.2-11.8) of the progression of early cortical lens opacities compared with the highest quartile (p = 0.028). In addition, the number of cigarettes smoked daily was a significant predictor of the progression of cortical lens opacity (relative risk = 1.06 per cigarette, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.12). The progression of nuclear lens opacities was not associated with either the plasma vitamin E content or smoking. The data suggest that low plasma vitamin E content may be associated with increased risk of the progression of early cortical lens opacity.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Contrast sensitivity in different types of early lens opacities.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of various types of early lens opacities with contrast sensitivity at different spatial frequencies. The Lens Opacities Classification System II and Lensmeter 701 were used in the grading of the lens status. The contrast sensitivity was tested with the Vistech VCTS 6500 distance test with optimal correction of refractive errors. Data from 995 eyes were available for the present study. Contrast sensitivity decreased by increasing lens opacification graded with the Lens Opacities Classification System II and also by increasing Lensmeter 701 reading. When the statistical model was adjusted for age and best corrected visual acuity, nuclear opacities and nuclear colour were not associated with decreased contrast sensitivity, however, there was a weak, but statistically significant correlation between contrast sensitivity reduction and cortical opacities at high spatial frequencies, and between contrast sensitivity and posterior subcapsular opacities at low and medium spatial frequencies.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Lens opacity increase in a longitudinal study: comparison of the lens opacities classification system II and lensmeter 701.

We evaluated the ability of Lensmeter 701 (LOM) to detect changes in the transparency of the lens graded with the Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II). In this prospective study 410 middle-aged Eastern Finnish men participating in the Kuopio Atherosclerosis Prevention Study were examined three times at eighteen month intervals, and lens opacities were graded with both LOM and LOCS II, the latter serving as the standard. Majority of the change in the LOM reading during the follow-up fell within the 95% tolerance interval of the apparatus (3.08 units). Only four eyes showing progression by LOCS II were detected by LOM. The association between LOM change and the change observed by LOCS II was not statistically significant, and the correspondence of the two methods was weak. It seems that the sensitivity of the LOM is not sufficient to detect small changes in the transparency of the lens over time.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The effect of some treatment variables on long-term results of argon laser trabeculoplasty.

Eighty-five eyes of 75 patients were retrospectively followed up for 5 years after argon laser trabeculoplasty. The effects of some treatment and patients variables on the results of trabeculoplasty were assessed. The laser power level or visible burn effect on the chamber angle did not have any statistically significant impact on the success rate or degree of intra-ocular pressure (IOP) decrease. A statistically significant level was reached by the degree of chamber angle pigmentation and the number of pre-operative antiglaucomatous medication. In eyes where trabeculoplasty was given as primary therapy, the IOP decrease was greatest.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Controlled ocular timolol delivery: systemic absorption and intraocular pressure effects in humans.

Timolol eyedrops may cause systemic side-effects in glaucoma patients due to absorption of the drug into systemic circulation. In a previous study, timolol concentrations in plasma were reduced if timolol was administered in ocular inserts instead of eyedrops. We compared the intraocular pressure lowering effect and systemic absorption of timolol inserts to those of 0.5% timolol eyedrops in humans. Inserts of silicone tubing released 90.3 +/- 13.9 micrograms of timolol in 24 hours in vivo. Timolol inserts afforded similar decreases in intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma patients as did b.i.d. eyedrops, but produced lower peak timolol concentrations in plasma, 0.70 +/- 0.10 ng/ml and 0.24 +/- 0.05 ng/ml, respectively. After eyedrops, peak concentrations were achieved at 15.0 +/- 2.2 min, while application of an insert resulted in a delayed peak (tmax = 623 +/- 195 min). The insert resulted in a higher systemically absorbed fraction of the timolol dose than the eyedrop, but the peak timolol concentration and daily absorbed amount of timolol were decreased. The release rate of timolol from the inserts in vivo was only slightly less than that in vitro. Silicone devices are useful for clinical testing of controlled delivery properties of ocular drugs.

Absorption↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of the lens opacities classification system II and Lensmeter 701.

We examined 447 hypercholesterolemic and 108 normocholesterolemic Eastern Finnish men, aged 42, 48, 54, or 60 years, who were participating in the Kuopio Atherosclerosis Prevention Study. Two newly developed lenticular opacity grading methods, the Lens Opacities Classification System II and Lensmeter 701, were compared. There was fair agreement between the two grading methods for nuclear color and opalescence, but the agreement was weaker for cortical and posterior subcapsular opacities. The Lens Opacities Classification System II grading of nuclear opacities explained 48% (for the right eye) and 32% (for the left eye) of the variation of Lensmeter readings. Attributable fractions were lower for the other types of lens opacities.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Association of corneal arcus with ultrasonographically assessed arterial wall thickness and serum lipids.

Ophthalmological examination was made for 447 hypercholesterolemic middle-aged Eastern Finnish men participating in the Kuopio Atherosclerosis Prevention Study (KAPS) in order to evaluate the prevalence of corneal arcus, its risk factors, and possible association with atherosclerosis. The degree of atherosclerosis was assessed by ultrasonographic examination of carotid and femoral arteries. Corneal arcus in either eye was observed in 51.4% of the participants. Old age and high LDL cholesterol concentration were associated with the presence of corneal arcus. Corneal arcus had a close relationship with ultrasonographically assessed atherosclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Presence of pseudoexfoliation on clear and opacified crystalline lenses in an aged population.

Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) of the lens capsule is a well-known risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. Its prevalence is known to increase by age in the same way as prevalence of age-dependent cataract. In the present paper the prevalence of PEX varied from 8.5 to 13.2% increasing by age. Lens opacities were statistically significantly more common in PEX-positive than PEX-negative eyes. The importance of detecting exfoliation from the lens surface is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Xanthogranuloma juvenile--a rare cause of orbital swelling in adulthood.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma, a non-Langerhans-type benign proliferation, in adulthood is a rare condition. This article reports the second known case in the western literature of solitary orbital involvement. The diagnosis was confirmed by orbital biopsy, and symptoms were dramatically relieved by corticoids, although a relapse occurred after their withdrawal. The importance of differentiating benign conditions from malignancies is discussed.

Edema↗
PubMed1992

Dexmedetomidine-induced ocular hypotension in rabbits with normal or elevated intraocular pressures.

This study covered the ocular hypotensive effects of the stereoisomers of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist medetomidine. The dextro-isomer, dexmedetomidine, is known from pharmacologic experiments to be a specific, potent, and selective full agonist at alpha 2-adrenoceptors, whereas the levo-enantiomer seems to be almost inactive. Thus, the levo-isomer (0.5 mg/ml, 25 microliters) had no significant effect on intraocular pressure. After unilateral topical administration, dexmedetomidine (0.5 mg/ml, 25 microliters) lowered intraocular pressure bilaterally in normal rabbits and in rabbits with intraocular pressure elevated after laser irradiation of the pigmented trabecular band of the anterior chamber angle. In the treated (ipsilateral) eye of normal rabbits, a maximum decrease of 4.6 +/- 0.6 mmHg was observed at 2 hr post treatment. In the contralateral eye, the maximum decrease was 4.1 +/- 0.5 mmHg at 1 hr after treatment. In rabbits with laser-induced elevation of intraocular pressure, the maximum decrease in treated hypertensive eyes was 13.5 +/- 0.3 mmHg 1 hr after dexmedetomidine administration. These results indicate that the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, dexmedetomidine, is a potent and effective drug for decreasing intraocular pressure in rabbits.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1991

Correlation of some ocular and hematologic factors and intraocular pressure in an aged population.

Ocular status including gonioscopy was performed on 833 volunteers in the Kuopio Eye Survey (KEYS). Some systemic factors including arterial blood pressure, body mass index, blood hemoglobin and glucose were also screened. In regression analysis only systolic blood pressure, grade of trabecular meshwork pigmentation and sex had a statistically significant correlation to intraocular pressure.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Pigmentation of the anterior chamber angle in normal and pseudoexfoliative eyes.

Anterior chamber angle pigmentation was gonioscopically graded in 833 persons recruited for the KEYS (Kuopio Eye Survey) during 1989. Pseudoexfoliation was observed in 8.5% in either eye from those born in 1924, the figure being 13.2% for those born in 1914. Anterior chamber angle pigmentation was found to be significantly heavier in eyes with pseudoexfoliation.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Incidence of open-angle glaucoma and screening of the intraocular pressure with a non-contact tonometer.

New equipment for measuring intraocular pressure have been introduced lately. One of these is the Keeler Pulsair non-contact tonometer which uses pressurized air in measurement. It is found to be safe and easy to use in practice, but it seems to give 1.5-2.0 mmHg lower reading than the Goldmann applanation tonometer. This was confirmed by the present study, where non-contact tonometry was controlled by applanation tonometry with a 2-3 week delay between the measurements. However, for screening procedures the accuracy of the apparatus can be considered as sufficient.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Kuopio eye survey (KEYS).

Mass health screenings for the elderly have been undertaken in Kuopio since 1983. Three different age groups, 65, 70 and 75 years old are called for examination so that each group is examined at 5-year intervals. In 1989 an ophthalmologic examination was included in the protocol for those born in 1914 and 1924. A total number of 1133 persons were recruited, 833 (73.5%) of which actually participated in the study. Cataract was found to be the most frequent visual handicapper. Of participants with visual acuity less than 0.3 at least in one eye, cataract was observed in 41.7% of the younger and in 91.1% of the older group. Age-dependent macular degeneration and glaucoma were less frequent than cataract. Visual acuity of less than 0.3 in the better eye was observed in 5.5% of the older group.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Co-existence of empty sella syndrome and low tension glaucoma.

In 15 low-tension glaucoma patients computed tomography of the head was re-evaluated in order to find the possible empty-sella syndrome. Fourteen CT-scans were normal, and empty sella was found in one patient with progressive low tension glaucoma. The possible role of empty sella syndrome in glaucomatous visual field defects is discussed.

Aged↗