If you are interested in reading publications by Dr. Pucker and his laboratory please Click The Links Below
Application of systane complete for the treatment of contact lens discomfort
This was a two-week, two-visit, double-masked study that randomized participants with CL discomfort to use Systane Complete (artificial tear), Sensitive Eyes (rewetting drop), or no treatment. Drops were applied before, twice during, and after CL use each day. Corneal staining served as the primary safety metric. Conjunctival staining, tear break-up time, Schirmer’s test, CL comfort (Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 [CLDEQ-8]), and dry eye symptoms (Standardized Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness [SPEED]) were also evaluated
Contact Lens Adaptation In Neophytes
Pubmed publication coming soon.
A Review of Contact Lens Dropout
Contact lens (CL) dropout is likely a major factor contributing to the near stagnant growth in the CL market. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of knowledge related to the frequency of CL dropout and the factors associated with it.
Tea tree oil for Demodex blepharitis
Demodex blepharitis is a chronic condition commonly associated with recalcitrant dry eye symptoms though many people with Demodex mites are asymptomatic. The primary cause of this condition in humans is two types of Demodex mites: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis. There are varying reports of the prevalence of Demodex blepharitis among adults, and it affects both men and women equally. While Demodex mites are commonly treated with tea tree oil, the effectiveness of tea tree oil for treating Demodex blepharitis is not well documented.
A Review of the Compatibility of Topical Artificial Tears and Rewetting Drops with Contact Lenses
The purpose of this work was to review the safety and efficacy of topical artificial tears and rewetting drops with contact lenses (CLs) and the ocular surface.
Treating Uncomfortable Contact Lens Wear With Orthokeratology
Many contact lens (CL) users permanently discontinue wear because of ocular dryness and discomfort. This study aimed to determine whether refitting symptomatic soft CL wearers in to orthokeratology could improve ocular symptoms and signs.
Morphological ciliary muscle changes associated with form deprivation-induced myopia
Myopic children have larger ciliary muscles than non-myopic children, suggesting that the ciliary muscle may have an impact on or be affected by refractive error development. The guinea pig represents an attractive model organism for myopia development research.
Evaluation of Systane Complete for the treatment of Contact Lens Discomfort
The purpose of this study was to understand if a new artificial tear, which is indicated for the treatment of both evaporative and aqueous deficient dry eye, is able to safely alleviate contact lens discomfort (CLD) in symptomatic soft contact lens (CL) wearers. Read More.
The Role of Soft Contact Lens Wear on Meibomian Gland Morphology and Function.
The purpose of this study was to determine associations for contact lenses and meibomian gland atrophy in a matched-pair study. Read More
Impact of meibomian gland width on successful contact lens use
The purpose is to evaluate meibomian gland width and determine its impact on successful contact lens use and ocular health. Read more
Identification of Leukocytes Associated with the Midday Fogging in the Post-Lens Tear Film of Scleral Contact Lens Wearers
Midday fogging is a frequent complaint among scleral contact lens wearers, and the mechanism and cause of this is unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to understand the relation between midday fogging, ocular surface leukocytes, and scleral contact lens fitting characteristics. Read More
Clinical factors associated with contact lens dropouts
Contact lens dropout is estimated to be approximately equal to the number of new wearers per year, resulting in virtually no growth in the global contact lens market. The purpose of this study was to determine ocular and contact lens factors associated with contact lens dropout. Read More
Assessment of practitioner's perception of scleral contact lens complications
The purpose of this survey was to better understand scleral lens practitioners' fitting preferences and minor scleral lens complications and their subsequent treatments. Read More
Psychometric Analysis of SPEED Questionnaire and CLDEQ-8
This study reports on the ability of the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaire to detect dry eye symptoms in contact lens and non-CL wearers. Read More.
Punctual Occlusion for Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome is a disorder of the tear film that is associated with symptoms of ocular discomfort. Punctal occlusion is a mechanical treatment that blocks the tear drainage system in order to aid in the preservation of natural tears on the ocular surface. Read More
Over the Counter (OTC) Artificial Tear Drops for Dry Eye Syndrome: A Cochrane review summary
The 2007 Dry Eye Workshop defined dry eye as “a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage of the ocular surface. Read More.
Ciliary Muscle Cell Changes During Guinea Pig Development
Guinea pig ciliary muscle increases robustly in volume, length, and thickness with age. We wanted to characterize ciliary muscle cells during development to determine the contributions of hypertrophy (cell size increase) and hyperplasia (cell number increase) during development. Read More.
Authors Response
We welcome the comments from Dr. Georgiev on our recent review in The Ocular Surface.We wish to take the opportunity to address those comments and to provide our further thoughts regarding the presence of phospholipids in the tear film. Read More.
The Presence and Significances of Polar Meibum and Tear Lipids
Ocular tear film is a complex structure composed of a number of elements. While all of these components serve valuable functional and structural roles, the external lipid layer has been a focus because it is known to play a critical role in dry eye. Traditionally, meibomian gland phospholipids have been considered to be the vital amphiphilic molecules needed to create an interphase between the outer nonpolar lipid layer and inner aqueous layers, yet recent work has called this theory into question. Read More.
Guinea Pig Ciliary Muscle Development.
The purpose of this study was to develop a method for quantifying guinea pig ciliary muscle volume and to determine its relationship to age and ocular biometric measurements. Read More.
Region-specific Relationships Between Refractive Error and Ciliary Muscle Thickness in Children.
The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between refractive error and ciliary muscle thickness in different muscle regions. Read More
Analysis of Meibum and Tear Lipids
he meibum is a lipid-rich secretion that is the primary component of the external layer of the tear film. The meibomian glands produce the meibum, and meibomian gland dysfunction can lead to degradation of the tear film. Such dysfunction can result in ocular irritation, inflammation, and clinical disease. Read More.
A Method if Imaging Lipids on Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether Nile Red and Oil Red O stains are able to detect tear film lipids deposited on silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Read More.
Wnt Signaling Genes of Murine Chromosome 15 are Involved in Sex-affected Pathways of inflammatory Arthritis
Sex disparities in rheumatoid arthritis are well documented despite the lack of any known major rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility genes mapped to sex chromosomes. Murine chromosome 15 carries the sex-affected Pgia8 locus that mediates proteoglycan-induced arthritis, and homologous human loci are associated with rheumatoid arthritis. This study was undertaken to identify genes/mechanisms implicated in sex disparities in arthritis. Read More.
In Vitro Lipid Deposition on Hydrogel and Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses
The purpose of this study was to understand various soft contact lens materials' ability to adsorb common tear lipids. Read More.
Enzymatic Quantification of Cholesterol and Cholesterol Esters from Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses
he purpose of this work was to develop an enzymatic method of quantification of cholesterol and cholesterol esters derived from contact lenses, both in vitro and ex vivo. Read More.
Impact of a Rinse Step on Protein Removal from Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the rinse step in "no rub" contact lens care systems relative to its ability to assist in removing loosely associated and bound tear film proteins from a worn silicone hydrogel lens. Read More
Sequences Within the gag Gene of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Needed for Mammary Gland Cell Transformation
Previously, we identified a group of replication-competent exogenous mouse mammary tumor viruses that failed to induce mammary tumors in susceptible mice. Sequence comparison of tumorigenic and tumor-attenuated virus variants has linked the ability of virus to cause high-frequency mammary tumors to the gag gene. Read More.
Past Research Studies
The Pucker lab has completed a number of clinical, basic, and translational studies since its inception. The primary focus of these studies have been related to increasing vision and eye comfort.
