Why Watch Titanic 3D Without 3D Glasses?

James Cameron’s Titanic in 3D broke all records for box office openings in China, and is doing quite well worldwide.  What do you notice about the picture below, a double page front and center spread in the April 23 issue of TIME magazine, showing moviegoers in the Chinese province of Shanxi watching Titanic 3D?

Right, there’s glare on the page.  But that’s only because I couldn’t find a clean version of it on the Internet.  What I really want you to notice is that there are three people within the first three rows who aren’t wearing their 3D glasses.  Spoofs aside about the super 3D effects of the film, how is it that James Cameron spent $18 million and over a year in production meticuloulsy re-doing the film into stereoscopic 3D, frame by frame, even aligning the stars just right to satisfy an astrophysicist, and some moviegoers would not appreciate the effort?  We know, courtesy of the work of Dr. Martin Banks and colleagues at UC Berekely College of Optometry, that where you’re sitting in the theater affects your S3D viewing experience.  But is there more to it?

The AOA and the ophthalmic industry is paying close attention to how moviegoers and consumers of entertainment in general are responding to 3D media.  If you’re a moviegoer watching this heralded film and you have as sinking feeling that something is wrong with your perception, it may be because you’re experiencing one of the 3Ds of stereoscopic 3D viewing: discomfort, dizziness, or lack of depth.  One way to cope is to simply watch without the 3D glasses – but the experience is clearly not the same and most likely is out of focus due to the effects necessary to create 3D-ness for your moviegoing neighbors.  So it’s a tradeoff in what makes you more uncomfortable: unstable or absent 3D viewing through the glasses, or ghosting without the glasses.  More than an inconvenience, people with unadressed binocular vision issues are making compromises in activities of daily living – many of which aren’t readily apparent.    Specialized lenses, prisms, or optometric vision therapy can help binocular vision difficulties at any age.    It takes motivation and persistence, but it all begins with discovery of the problem in the first place.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Fixing My Gaze: The Audiobook Is Here!

Great to read the news from Sue Barry on her blog that Fixing My Gaze is now available as an audiobook.  I would daresay that this book ranks as one of the most significant contributions to optometry,  vision science, and optometric vision therapy in our lifetimes.  It is certainly the best book ever written by a non-optometrist on the subject, and Dr. Barry has been indefatigable in fielding inquiries about her experiences from individuals around the world, and helping them find capable practitioners.  The audiobook version, available through audible.com, amazon.com and iTunes, will carry forth her message to an even wider audience.  Spread the word!

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

How 3D Legends Are Made

Please allow me to introduce you to Barry B. Sandrew, Ph.D., and his company, Legend 3D.

Better yet, let me introduce you to Dr. Sandrew’s blog reflecting on the growth of 3D.  A blog like this is so well done that I can do no better than to point you in its direction and get out of the way.  You’ll particularly enjoy the experiences of  “Binocular Bruce” as his stereoscopic 3D vision emerges for the first time while watching the 3D film, Hugo.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Sue Barry’s TEDx Talk

The logo of TED talks speaks for itself:  ideas worth spreading.  The story of Stereo Sue is becoming increasingly well known within optometric circles, but the TED format will help spread the concept further.  Encourage as many people as you can to watch it, so that its number of views increases.  Here is the direct link to the YouTube video.

The web intro reads as follows:

Susan R. Barry, Professor of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts talks about “Fixing My Gaze.”
“For most of my life, the last place I wanted to be was an eye doctor’s office. I had been cross-eyed since infancy, and despite three surgeries, remained cross-eyed and stereoblind. Scientific dogma indicated that my visual deficits resulted from changes in brain circuitry that occurred in infancy and could not be reversed in adulthood. So, when I finally consulted a developmental optometrist and began optometric vision therapy at age 48, I took a significant risk. I had to think beyond the conventional wisdom, abandon old visual habits, and master skills that most children acquire within the first six months of life. As I began to straighten my eyes and see in 3D, I learned that the adult brain is indeed capable of significant plasticity. Rewiring in the adult brain requires the presence of novel and behaviorally relevant stimuli, the conscious abandonment of entrenched habits, and the establishment, through intense practice, of new ones.”

Although I’ve heard Sue lecture a number of times, and admire her passion, it wasn’t until I read this that it dawned on me just how courageous Sue is.  Read it again: “So, when I finally consulted a developmental optometrist and began optometric vision therapy at age 48, I took a significant risk. I had to think beyond the conventional wisdom, abandon old visual habits, and master skills that most children acquire within the first six months of life.“

Without further adieu, here is Sue:

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

The Keystone View

The Keystone View Company seems like it’s been around forever.  Here’s a copy of one of its early manuals, from 1898, so it has been around longer than me!  To this day, among my fond memories of time spent as Chief of the Vision Therapy Unit at SUNY College of Optometry was an article I put together with two colleagues, Drs. Michelle Laxer and Jay Cohen, on an Expanded Guide to Keystone Stereogram Cards.  I was greatly influenced in those days by Sid Groffman, who worked as a field rep for Keystone View before becoming a well-known optometrist specializing in VT in New Jersey, and faculty member at SUNY.  Keystone’s mainstay has been binocular vision and stereopsis, and its footprint can be seen in the current re-awakening of interest in the form of stereoscopic 3D by the American Optometric Association.  Speaking of which, if you’re coming to the AOA meeting in June, there will be a strong educational component including 3D Education Symposiums in which I’ll be participating.  In researching some other info about stereoscopy, I visited the Keystone View site and was pleased to note some concise vision articles in their Knowledge Center.

In the Knowledge Center area for parents on vision health information, there is a nice article on myths and misconceptions about vision therapy.  There is another nice article about the relationship between Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and vision which has this headline:

ADD or just can’t see? The restless child in the classroom may have a vision problem.

… and begins as follows:

Is your child or student acting restless in class? Making careless mistakes on schoolwork? Not listening to the lecture and rubbing his/her eyes? Don’t reach for the Ritalin quite yet. Instead, you might want to first schedule a visit to the optometrist.

At the end of each of the Knowledge Center pieces there is a link to visionhelp.com.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

 

 

 

Happy 3D Holidays!

What a pleasant surprise to receive this anaglyphic 3D holiday greeting card in the mail today from one of our favorite vision therapy patients, the creative and talented Greg Voth.  The message inside the card reads:

We hope you have a wonderfully deep and dimensional holiday!

Greg & Robin Voth

The reverse side of the card details Greg’s quest to learn how to use both eyes together and develop binocular vision after reading Susan Barry’s wonderful book, Fixing My Gaze – A Scientist’s Journey Into Seeing In Three Dimensions.  The American Optometric Association has embarked on a marvelous campaign to make both its members and public more fully conversant with issues related to stereoscopic 3D vision that complements Greg’s message.

You can learn more here.

Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Localizing in Space – Part 2

Here’s my buddy Anthony with me today, photo courtesy of my Resident Dr. Hilary Gesford during his progress evaluation.  I previously blogged about Anth0ny’s breakthrough working with Danielle, one of our vision therapists, in reaching for the Quoits vectogram in space.  Anthony initially had right esotropia which was misdiagnosed by one pediatric ophthalmologist as pseudostrabismus.   A neurodevelopmental pediatric workup advised counseling, and the family has worked with a behiavioralist to try and coordinate behavior modification programs which proved very difficult to implement.  I also blogged previously about the second pediatric ophthalmologist who subsequently operated on Anthony after we got his acuity from legally blind to 20/30.  That was in July, and he still had residual esotropia and no random dot stereopsis.  Today, in the office, on the birth of Anthony’s brother Alexander, his BVA through his lens is 20/20! With additional plus at near he was able to reliably locate the Random Dot “E” for the first time!  Mom was busy giving birth, so grandma and great aunt came with Anthony taking pictures, so I’m sure this will show up on her Facebook page.  We shared hugs and good cries all around.

So here’s a little tip on how we did the RDE. This is an important approach with impulsive kids who guess.  I first gave him the “E” plate which he claimed to see.  I then gave him the Blank which he also claimed to see.  We had a little chat about one of the pictures having the “E”, and one not.  I then presented them each individually, and Anthony corrected identified the “E”, and told me the blank was blank.

We then went into forced choice mode, with assistance from Joni Feldbaum, our extern.  Anthony was able to make the correct choice.  I had him close his eyes and we did a switch of the two plates out of view.  I asked him to open his eyes and told him I “forgot” which picture had the “E” and asked him to show it to me again.  He picked the correct plate (opposite to its original position) again.

You can see the sequence below.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Localizing in Space

Anthony can, shall we say, be a handful when he comes into the office for his vision therapy sessions.  Just keeping his feet on the ground can be challenging, but his mother is very determined in giving him every opportunity to develop use of both eyes together and help his visual development.  We often have to isolate him in a separate, self-contained vision therapy room with finite boundaries because he is so unsure of himself in space.  What a joy it was to get a special image that Anthony’s mom posted on our Facebook page over the weekend, not only showing his appreciation of 3D float, but able to interact meaningfully in more open space.

I don’t think I can express the feeling any better than she did:

“XOXOX to everyone at The Vision and Learning Center! My son used to fall off things and land face first or walk into doors because he had no Depth Perception. Today during his vision therapy I saw him reach up to touch the 3D picture that Danielle was showing him on the screen!!! I was able to get one photo of this major event in his life.”

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Optometric Director, The Vision & Learning Center

Dr. Oliver Sacks on The Mind’s Eye

As promised, here is the AMNH YouTube Channel presentation by Dr. Oliver Sacks on The Mind’s Eye at the American Museum of Natural History on Monday, October 17, 2011.

If you’re looking for the Sue Barry (Stereo Sue) segment, it begins at the 11:00 minute mark and runs for eight minutes until the 19:00 minute mark.   But if you have the time, I would encourage you to watch the entire program.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO

Oliver Sacks Magnificent at AMNH Tonight

Just got back from Oliver Sacks’s lecture at the American Museum of Natural History tonight.  It was a packed house at 77th and Columbus, and Oliver did not disappoint.  First of all, I have to tell you that this is the first time we attended a lecture of this nature in the Museum’s auditorium, and it is drop dead gorgeous with great acoustics.

Oliver began with brief personal background, but I daresay that everyone in attendance was already well aware of his resume.  He quickly got into the substance of The Mind’s Eye.  He noted at the outset that it’s generally not a good idea for a doctor to take on friends as patients, but it’s very rewarding for doctors to become friends with patients that they care for.  This is a particularly luxury that a celebrated neurologist has, who takes on a limited number of patients.  Yet Sacks was clear that he never accepts seeing a patient with the idea that they are going to going to become an interesting case study to write about.

I was particularly pleased that Oliver spent a significant portion of his talk on the experiences of  Stereo Sue.  As many times as we’ve been exposed to Sue Barry’s story, it’s still a joy to think of the significance of the collaboration that she first undertook with her developmental optometrist, Dr. Theresa Ruggiero, and subsequently with Dr. Oliver Sacks.

Wish I had known that there was going to be a live steam of the video tonight, but I can tell you now that the AMNH is going to put the video on its YouTube channel later this week.  I’ll give you a heads-up on that when that’s posted.  Bottom line is that Oliver was clear that the key to Sue’s outcome was that she saw a behavioral optometrist, and that her experience was so compelling that they agreed that there must be thousands of other people out there like her who should be given the option of undertaking vision therapy.

Oliver was struggling with his vision (he shared with the audience that he is now totally blind in his right eye), his hearing, and his gait, but his mind is as sharp as ever and his message remains a strong counterbalance to misinformation about vision therapy.

- Leonard J. Press, O.D., FCOVD, FAAO