Clinical Study Of Treatment Of Traditional Chinese Medication On Optic Atrophy

Objective:The objective of the study is to observe the clinical efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with acupuncture treatment on glaucoma optic atrophy patients. The results are analyzed based on TCM etiological analysis method.Methods:The 22 patients (35 eyes) with glaucoma optic atrophy, were treated with TCM combined with acupuncture. The patients were divided into four treatment groups based on their TCM symptoms: (to tonifying the liver & kidney), (to tonifying the qi and blood), (to relieve liver qi stagnation) and (to clear heat and nourish yin). The comparison group patients were treated with western medicine, Methylcobalamine. To compare the two groups, visual field testing was carried pre and post treatment.Visual acuity and visual electric-evoked potential examinations were also carried out pre and post treatment and at different periods during treatment. Clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:1. The results of vision analysis pre and post treatment of the 3-month group had shown significant improvement in vision acuity of p<0.05.2. In the vision field examinations, the TCM patients showed average increase (p<0.05) in light sensitivity after the treatment. They also showed average reduction (p<0.05) in visual defects. The improvement in vision for the TCM group is better than the comparison group.3. In the Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) analysis, the results for the TCM treatment group showed an increase of P100 peak latency period. The amplitude was also shortened (p<0.05).4. The TCM treatment group was subdivided into 3 months and 2 months groups in order to fine-tune the results. The analysis of clinical efficacy showed that the 3 months group has better improvement than the 2 months group,(average of p<0.05).Conclusion:By controlling the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients (<21mmHg), and using the TCM methods to diagnose and treat the glaucoma optic atrophy patients will have better clinical curative effect.Using TCM treatment methods shows better improvement in the vision field compared to the western medicine, Methylcobalamin, treatment group. There is significant improvement in vision, vision field and Visual Evoked Potential on comparison of the pre and post treatment. This study indicates that the TCM treatment method may slow the optic atrophy advancement, protect optic nerves and improve the patients'visual function. In addition, this study also indicates that to achieve better improvement in the visual function, there is a need to have a longer continuous treatment period of at least 3 months.