title: Transcorneal electrical stimulation improves visual function in eyes with branch retinal artery occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) on eyes that have a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied two eyes having a BRAO, with an interval between the onset of symptoms and the beginning of treatment of >16 weeks (longstanding cases), and in three eyes with an interval of <16 weeks (fresh cases). The visual functions of the eyes were assessed by the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs), and automated static perimetry with the Humphrey field analyzer (HFA). The mfERGs were recorded before and 1 month after the TES, and perimetry with the HFA was done before and at 1 and 3 months after the TES. The amplitudes and implicit times of the N1, P1, and N2 components of the mfERGs were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TES did not alter the BCVA significantly in all eyes, but it led to a significant increase in the amplitude of the N2 wave of the mfERGs (P < 0.01). The amplitude of the N1-P1 was also increased but not significantly. The implicit times of N1 (P < 0.01) and P1 (P < 0.05) were significantly shorter than that before the TES. The mean deviation of the HFA was increased after the TES but only in the longstanding cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that TES improves the visual function in eyes with BRAO, mainly in longstanding cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichirou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oono
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kashimoto
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mimura