title: Treatment with citicoline eye drops enhances retinal function and neural conduction along the visual pathways in open angle glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the retinal function and the neural conduction along the visual pathways after treatment with citicoline eye drops in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six OAG patients (mean age 52.4 ± 4.72 years, IOP <18 mmHg with beta-blocker monotherapy only) were enrolled. Of these, 47 eyes completed the study: 24 OAG eyes were treated with topical citicoline (OMK1®, Omikron Italia, 3 drops/day) (GC eyes) over a 4-month period (month 4) followed by a 2-month period of citicoline wash-out (month 6), and another 23 OAG eyes were only treated with beta-blocker monotherapy (GP eyes). In GC and GP eyes, pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were assessed at baseline and at months 4 and 6 in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, similar (ANOVA, p > 0.01) PERG and VEP values in GC and GP eyes were observed. After treatment with topical citicoline, a significant (p < 0.01) increase of PERG P50-N95 and VEP N75-P100 amplitudes, and a significant (p < 0.01) shortening of VEP P100 implicit times were found. In GC eyes, the shortening of VEP P100 implicit times was correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with the increase of PERG P50-N95 amplitudes. After a 2-month period of topical Citicoline wash-out, PERG and VEP values were similar (p > 0.01) to baseline ones. GP eyes showed not significant changes of PERG and VEP values during the entire follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical treatment with citicoline in OAG eyes induces an enhancement of the retinal bioelectrical responses (increase of PERG amplitude) with a consequent improvement of the bioelectrical activity of the visual cortex (shortening and increase of VEP implicit time and amplitude, respectively).
authors.affiliation: "G.B. Bietti" Foundation for Study and Research in Ophthalmology - IRCCS, Via Livenza 3, 000198, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Centofanti
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ziccardi
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tanga
authors.forename: Manuele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michelessi
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roberti
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manni
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004596:Electroretinography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline