Abstract
Purpose :
The use of neuro-modulators has been proposed as adjunctive treatment to hypotensive drugs in glaucoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of citicoline (Cebrolux©, C) and docosahexaenoic acid (Brudypio©,DHA) on functional damage of glaucoma patients.
Methods :
Prospective, randomized and controlled study. Study is ongoing. On October 2018, 40 patients had finalized the study. Inclusion criteria were: 1) patients with chronic glaucoma with structural damage as measured by OCT and functional damage compatible with glaucoma, 2) mean defect (MD) between – 6 dB and -15 dB at least in one eye, 3) a minimum of four reliable VFs before baseline and three after baseline and 4) age between 55 and 75 years old. Exclusion criteria were: 1) previous vitamin or nutraceutical treatments, 2) any other pathologies that may affect VFs, 3) hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid, 4) allergy to fish proteins, 5) ocular surgery in the 3 months before or during the study, 6) changes in treatment during the study. MD and Visual Field Index (VFI) slopes were calculated.
Patients were randomized in four groups: 1) Vitamin C (control group, VC), 8 patients; 2) C, 11 patients; 3) DHA, 12 patients and 4) C + DHA, 9 patients. The normality of these variables was analyzed by the Kolmogorov Smirnoff test. T-test was used to compare differences between VFI and MD slopes between groups and compare pre and post treatment slopes.
Results :
Table 1 shows mean ± sd of slopes by group:
No differences were found in slopes before treatments among the groups. Post-treatment MD slope (p=0.008) and VFI slope (p=0.028) were significantly different (towards improvement of the index) in group 4 than in group 2. Only group 4 showed significant improvement in MD and VFI slopes (p=0.004 and p=0.029, respectively) after 3 months of treatment.
Conclusions :
C + DHA treatment could have beneficial effects on visual field of glaucoma patients at short term. A larger sample and longer follow up are necessary to corroborate these results.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.