title: Effect of transcorneal electrical stimulation in patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy or traumatic optic neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) can improve the visual function of patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) or traumatic optic neuropathy (TON).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight consecutive patients at the Osaka University Hospital were studied. TES (600-800 microA, 20 Hz, 30 min) was applied once each to three eyes with NAION and to five eyes with TON, using a contact lens-type stimulating electrode. The primary outcome measurement was the change in visual acuity at 1 to 3 months after TES. An improvement in visual acuity was defined as a change of > or =0.3 log (minimum angle of resolution) (logMAR) units. The side effects of TES were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After TES application, the visual acuity improved in two patients with NAION and in four patients with TON. Visual acuity did not worsen in any of the eyes. Only a mild superficial punctuate keratopathy was observed in all eyes immediately after TES, and it healed by the next day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual acuity can be improved after TES without major complications in some patients with NAION or TON. These results suggest that TES should be considered as a new treatment for eyes with optic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Visual Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan. fujikado@ophthal.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujikado
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimojo
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003315:Cornea; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields