Rehabilitation helps prevent depression.

• Position: Vision Loss - Brief article

Depression is a common risk for people who have lost their vision from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but a study in Ophthalmology shows that a type of rehabilitation therapy can cut this risk in half. "Our results emphasize the high risk of depression from AMD, and the benefits of multi-disciplinary treatment that bridges primary eye care, psychiatry, psychology, and rehabilitation," relates Barry Rovner, professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa.

AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the U.S., as about 2,000,000 Americans age 50 and over have vision loss from AMD, and around 8,000,000 have an earlier stage of the disease, with or without vision loss. AMD causes damage to the macula, a spot near the center of the retina that is needed for sharp, straight-ahead vision. It can affect one eye or both; the latter is called bilateral AMD. As the disease progresses, it can cause a growing blurred area near the center of vision, and lead...