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Show NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY AT LARGE International Symposium on Neuro-Ophthalmology and Low Vision, Tu¨bingen, Germany, October 24-26, 2008 From October 24-26, 2008, Tu¨bingen, Germany hosted an international interdisciplinary symposium on the interface between neuro-ophthalmology and low vision. Subtitled ‘‘From Eye to Mind,'' it featured three symposia and a demonstration of the latest equipment used to study and enhance untreatable visual impairment. We were shown a video camera hooked to a computer that tracks eye movement strategies in patients with homony-mous hemianopia. Researchers use this device to study strategies of seeing with scotomas or hemianopias. We were also introduced to a scanning laser ophthalmoscope adapted for reading analysis. Eberhardt Zrenner, chair of the Center of Ophthal-mology at the University of Tu¨bingen, opened the sym-posium with praise for hostess Susanne Trauzettel-Klosinski's work in neuro-ophthalmology and low vision. Dr. Trauzettel- Klosinski credited her mentors Gu¨nter Mackensen, Guntram Kommerell, Elfriede Aulhorn (developer of the Tu¨bingen Perimeter), Marco Mumenthaler, Eberhardt Zrenner, William F. Hoyt, MD (San Francisco, CA), and Manfred Mackeben, (San Francisco, CA). The symposium covered retinal, optic nerve, and chiasmal/retrochiasmal causes of visual impairment. The retinal symposium included presentations on eye movements FIG. 1. The meeting faculty (left to right). Front row: Lea Hyvarinen (Helsinki, Finland), Klara Landau (Zurich, Switzerland), Guntram Kommerell (Freiburg, Germany), Helmut Wilhelm (Tu¨bingen, Germany), William F. Hoyt (San Francisco, CA), Susanne Trauzettel-Klosinski, (hostess, Tu¨bingen), Klaus Rohrschneider (Heidelberg, Germany), Gary Rubin (London, UK), Ger van Rens (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Nhung Nguyen (Tu¨bingen). Middle Row: Francois Vital-Durand (Lyon, France), Avinoam Safran (Geneva, Switzerland), Christoph Braun (Trento, Italy), Ron Schuchard (Atlanta, GA), Gordon Plant (London, UK), Pinar Aydin (Ankara, Turkey), Manfred Mackeben (San Francisco), Antony Morland (York, UK), Christopher Kennard (London, UK), Kathleen Digre (Salt Lake City, UT). Top row: Ingeborg Kra¨geloh-Mann, (Tu¨bingen), Ulrich Schiefer (Tu¨bingen) Natalia Serova (Moscow, Russia), Christina Fasser (Zurich), Dorothea Besch (Tu¨bingen). 88 J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 Neuro-Ophthalmology At Large J Neuro-Ophthalmol, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2009 FIG. 2. Punting down the Neckar River in front of the Hoelderlin Tower in Tu¨bingen, Germany. in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (Gary Rubin, London, England), differences between scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) and MP1 microperimetry in mac-ular disease (Klaus Rohrschneider, Heidelberg, Germany), sensory aspects of seeing after macular translocation surgery (Dorothea Besch, Tu¨bingen), the contribution of low vision aids to reading speed in AMD (Nhung Nguyen, Tu¨bingen), and studies on the preferred retinal locus for reading (Ron Schuchard, Atlanta, GA). The optic nerve symposium included presenta-tions on pseudotumor cerebri (Kathleen Digre, MD, Salt Lake City, UT), papilledema in brain tumors (Natalia Serova, Moscow, Russia), optic nerve glioma (Helmut Wilhelm, Tu¨bingen), optic nerve meningioma (Klara Landau, Zurich, Switzerland), and optic neuritis (Gordon Plant, London, England). After lunch we began an exceptional session about cortical adaptation to visual loss, including presentations on the anatomic under-pinnings of attention (Hans-Peter Thier, Tu¨bingen), the enhancement of low vision by focal attention (Manfred Mackeben) changes in cor-tical inhibition after central nervous system damage (Christoph Braun, Trento, Italy), lack of cortical reor-ganization in macular degeneration (Antony Morland, York, England), the ‘‘filling in'' phenomenon (Avinoam Safran, Geneva, Switzerland), visual agnosia (Ulrich Schiefer, Tu¨bingen), and visual processing (Lea Hyvarinen, Helsinki, Finland). We were treated to a birthday party for Dr. Trauzettel-Klosinski at the Bebenhausen Castle. After an excellent lecture on neuro-ophthalmology in art by Pinar Aydin (Ankara, Turkey), we were heartily entertained by MaMiGo-Singers, an excellent a cappella group, two of whose members (Matthias and Michael) are sons of the hostess! The last day began with a most unusual exhibition of the very first figurines developed 30,000 years ago by Homo sapiens. We returned to the Hoelderlin Tower for a musical concert of lieder and ended a lovely Sunday morning punting down the Neckar River to the poetry of Hoelderlin read in German and English. Kathleen B. Digre, MD Salt Lake City, Utah 89 |