Dry Eye Concept - 2

INTRO for ...

HOLISTIC DYNAMIC Up-To-Date CONCEPT on the Pathophysiology of Dry Eye Disease

Members of the Ocular Surface Center Berlin (OSCB) have developed a new holistic dynamic up-to-date concept on the Pathophysiology of Dry Eye Disease.

The new concept unites historically established knowledge about Dry Eye Disease with recent advancements in Ocular Surface Research up to latest developments in the field.

It goes from anatomy and physiology strictly along the course of pathophysiology of Dry Eye Disease towards clinical findings, symptoms and therapy. 

This concept identifies several new self-enforcing vicious circles, that lead to progression of Dry Eye Disease, and allows it to specifically address and to visualize the important dynamic aspects of disease development and progression.

RATIONALE for a new Holistic Dynamic concept for Dry Eye – A NEW VISION of the Ocular Surface and of Dry Eye

The rationale for this new holistic dynamic concept for Dry Eye comes from the enormous amount of new data in research and clinics on Ocular Surface and Dry Eye Disease ...

... that appears to make the understanding of Dry Eye more and more multifaceted, complicated and increasingly unintelligible to many people.

APPROACH of the new dynamic concept – HOLISTIC ... instead of just following the fashions in science

At the same time, new models that are created when sufficient new data is obtained or, preferably, when new data seems to allow or seems to require to a new conceptual approach ... the new findings are often over-weighted in comparison to established knowledge - which basically creates ´fashions in science´.

... so not only the couturier but sometimes also the scientist may be becoming a dedicated follower of fashion ...

We have tried to create a balanced concept of Dry Eye Disease, that joins established findings and knowledge together with latest scientific developments in the field ... and to place every intermediate twist in the right place according to the concept of pathophysiology.

This approach should render a concept of Dry Eye Disease that is HOLISTIC because it covers the complete body of knowledge concerning the topic and it does so in a well-balanced style that is understandable by everybody from the clinician who is involved with his daily practice to the basic scientist and potentially also by the layman/women.

APPROACH of the new holistic dynamic concept – DYNAMIC

In order to improve the understanding of a disease process that is rather dynamic  instead of following static steps … we have thought about a completely new way to see and view the Ocular Surface and Dry Eye.

This is a not only a holistic way that allows to see the full picture at first glance, like a landscape from above.

But it is also a DYNAMIC way that tries to show the dynamic interaction of several factor of the intricate network of normal function and of pathology at the Ocular Surface.

This is displayed in animated diagrams the show events that are separated in space and time in several images that are coming to life together in an animated frame. This approach reflects ´ral life´ and is intuitively understandable.

APPROACH of the new holistic dynamic concept – Pictographic self-explanatory

In order to make the concept more understandable we had decided to cast it into the form of an animated GIF file - basically a stack of images/ slides that ´runs´ automatically.

This was distributed among interested colleagues in November 2016 and previously shown at the TFOS DEWS II Post-ARVO subcommittee meeting.

Many of the slides are actually an introduction to lead people seamlessly into the basics of the topic in order to fully understand the new concept.

In order to achieve a good resolution a GIF file is becoming quite large. Therefore the content is now ´running´ as a ´SLIDE SHOW´ Presentation on the HOMEPAGE of the OSCB (www.oscb-berlin.org).

Apart from a better resolution, this new presentation type also offers the possibility for the viewer to immediately interact the presentation at his on desire - he can stop at any slide for longer viewing or go back and forth as he or she likes.  

RESULTS -  I n t u i t i v e l y  understandable !

Even though this HOLISTIC DYNAMIC CONCEPT OF DRY EYE DISEASE may seem unfamiliar at first glance for some who may happen to be too deeply entrenched in established diagrams - it is INTUITIVELY UNDERSTANDABLE and it will conceivably open the eyes of a majority to the understanding of the ocular surface and its dysfunctions in Dry Eye Disease etc. much wider than presently available diagrams.

This "NEW VISION" OF DRY EYE is therefore suitable for the basic scientist and for the clinician alike and may also be helpful for many patients.

The HOLISTIC DYNAMIC CONCEPT on the pathophysiology of DRY EYE DISEASE  also offers new unique ways to make the indications and use of Therapeutic Interventions such as Tear Supplements, Physical Therapies, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs etc.  etc.  much more understandable to doctors and patients.

It is certainly also a very suitable approach for education and teaching that we are using in our university seminars.