NCT01604356

Acupuncture for the Treatment of Vision Loss Due to Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 19 (actual)
• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 10 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) patients are interested in trying alternative therapies to attempt to slow, halt or reverse the retinal disease process, and claim success with some approaches such as acupuncture, but this potential treatment has not been put to the test of objective, rigorous scientific study conducted in western society. In this pilot study, the investigators aim to evaluate an acupuncture treatment tailored to the RP population for its feasibility to improve visual function, specifically visual field and dark adaptation. The study results may provide a basis for eye care providers' recommendations to RP patients regarding whether to consider acupuncture as a potential treatment modality. If our hypotheses regarding improvements in vision beyond typical test variability are supported, our future research goals include the conduct of a larger clinical trial with involving randomization and a placebo control for acupuncture in RP.

Conditions

• Retinitis Pigmentosa

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Electro-acupuncture	Ten treatment sessions at our center during a two week period (5 sessions per week). Each session will last approximately 30 minutes. The intervention will involve the placement of acupuncture needles in a standard set of points across all patients, located on the head, around the eyes, on the abdomen, on the hands, feet, arms and legs. An electro-acupuncture device \[Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) unit by Lhasa OMS Inc.; model AWQ-104L\] and will be used on four of the acupuncture points (two per session) located on the forehead, and side of the face/temple.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-04-01
• Primary completion: 2013-12-01
• Completion: 2013-12-01
• First posted: 2012-05-23
• Last updated: 2014-03-04

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States