title: [Transcorneal electrical stimulation in primary open angle glaucoma].
abstract: Recently, reports have been published on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in patients and experimental animal models with neurodegenerative ocular diseases. Our study included 14 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), who were randomized into one of three groups with 0% (sham, n = 5), 66% (n = 5) or 150% (n = 4) of their individual electrical phosphene thresholds. Patients were treated with transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) for 30 min once a week for 6 consecutive weeks. Outcome measures of our study were the detection of possible adverse events and efficacy of TES using DTL electrodes in subjective and objective parameters of visual function under treatment. TES was tolerated well and no serious adverse events were registered relating to the treatment. One single adverse event was registered as appearance of an optic disc hemorrhage of a sham-stimulated eye. In summary, one significant increase of intra-ocular pressure in the 66% group was observed in comparison to the sham group (p = 0.04), without significant differences compared to the 150% group (both sham vs. 150% group and 66% vs. 150% group). This difference (mean difference compared to baseline of -2.33 mm Hg for the sham group and +0.97 mm Hg for the 66% group; REML) was not clinical meaningful. All other findings, including results of the visual field, were not statistically significant different between groups. It was shown that TES using DTL electrodes did not trigger adverse or serious adverse events in the stimulated groups in patients with POAG. Patients with POAG should currently receive TES only under study conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Röck
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Naycheva
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.|Augenklinik am Katharinenhospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Kriegsbergstr. 60, 70329, Stuttgart, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Willmann
authors.affiliation: STZ eyetrial am Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.affiliation: STZ eyetrial am Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zrenner
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Bartz-Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland.|Augenklinik am Katharinenhospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Kriegsbergstr. 60, 70329, Stuttgart, Deutschland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gekeler
authors.affiliation: Department für Augenheilkunde, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland. an.schatz@klinikum-stuttgart.de.|Augenklinik am Katharinenhospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Kriegsbergstr. 60, 70329, Stuttgart, Deutschland. an.schatz@klinikum-stuttgart.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schatz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Neuroprotection; Primary open angle glaucoma; Transcorneal electrical stimulation; Visual acuity; Visual function