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Mind-Eye RESEARCH:

Effects on Deep Brain Circuitry by Modulation of Retinal Signals

by Deborah G Zelinsky, OD

This presentation carries current research further by describing probable effects of external retinal stimulation as a means to alter internal chemical metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Retinal metabolism is a continuous process, with or without light stimulation, in awake or sleep states. Alteration affects brain circuitry. Each eye has approximately 160 million retinal photoreceptors that funnel information in very predicable patterns, establishing a point to point projection map with established neuronal connectivity to various brain structures, such as the lateral geniculate nucleus, the hypothalamus and the superior colliculus. In the inner retina, photons of light trigger chemical signaling pathways with an eventual conversion from chemical gradients into electrical signals that exit each eye through the 1 million ganglion axons forming the optic nerve. Studies have found that topographically expressed genes in the retina control formation of this brain mapping and that the transcription factors in the nasal retina differ from those in the temporal retina. In addition to the classic photoreceptors (cones and rods) a third photoreceptor was recently uncovered. That discovery began a new neural framework for retinal processing. This third photoreceptor group (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells) was not image forming – it was connected with circadian rhythms and other chemical processes, leading to a deeper understanding of the influence of retinal metabolism in brain function. To-date, point-to-point brain mapping has been used in the emerging field of neuro-optometry to enhance patient comfort and eyesight. However, this presentation carries current research further by describing probable effects of external retinal stimulation as a means to alter internal chemical metabolism. Possible relationships between retinal stimulation on brain wiring and chemical gradients in neuro-degenerative conditions are specifically addressed.

 

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‘Dr. Zelinsky Is Renowned'

~ Norman Doidge, M.D. & Clark Elliott, Ph.D., and Patricia S. Lemer praise her accomplishments

“Zelinsky fit Elliott with a series of eyeglasses designed to improve the perceptual damage that made his life so difficult… Getting fitted for Zelinsky's eyeglasses is like no eye appointment you've ever had… Now, Elliott says, he is almost entirely symptom-free, able to problem-solve, multi-task and find his way easily — all abilities he lost in the auto accident in 1999. When he put on his Phase VI glasses he felt something that he hadn't felt for years: “I felt normal.”

Review: ‘The Ghost in My Brain'
– The Chicago Tribune

“One brilliant Chicago-area optometrist I know, Deborah Zelinsky OD, FNORA, FCOVD, has developed a unique, patented, easy-to-administer evaluation called the Z-Bell Test. This test measures the efficiency of integration between visual processing and listening….A 2014 study at Vendarbilt University found that children with autism do not synchronize their seeing and hearing…I have watched Dr. Zelinsky administer this test to disbelieving coleagues, who were astounded by its accuracy and results…Over the past two decades, the Z-Bell Test has become internationally recognized by the scientific community.”
– Patricia S. Lemer, Licensed Profesional Counselor (LPC)

“I visited Dr. Zelinsky, and she showed me how she can use optical lenses to alter sensory filtering, by directing light to different retinal cells and brain circuits. This can influence activity in the brain and the hypothalamus to better regulate body chemistry, sensory integration, and even some auditory processing. [Dr. Zelinsky] works frequently with patients working with learning and cognitive disorders as well as TBIs.”

– Norman Doidge, M.D.

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