Anmeldung zur Tagung
Registration
Grußwort
Invitation
Themen
Topics
Allgemeiner Ablauf
General overview
Wissenschaftliches Programm
Scientific program
Kurse
Courses
Symposien
Symposiums
Frühstück mit Spezialisten
Breakfast with specialists
Arzthelferinnen-Fortbildung
Rahmenprogramm
Social program
DOG Information
DOG Information
Allgemeine Informationen
General Information
Autorenindex
Index of Authors
Ausstellerliste
Exhibitors
Sponsoren
Sponsors
Teilnahmegebühren
Registration fees
Impressum
Optic disk perfusion changes after acupuncture therapy in normal tension glaucoma
Kremmer S., Niederdräing N., Hintzmann A., Selbach J. M., Steuhl K. P.
University Eye Hospital, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
Objective: Acupuncture therapy is well accepted to be helpful
in some forms of cerebrovascular diseases like e.g. migraine headache.
Many studies show that vascular dysregulations like vasospasms and reduced
perfusion pressures at the optic disk are involved in the pathogenesis
of normal tension glaucoma (NTG), too. Therefore, we evaluated perfusion
changes at the optic disk of NTG patients before and after acupuncture
therapy by means of scanning laser doppler flowmetry.
Methods: 15 NTG patients (age range 52 - 73 years) anamnestically
suffering from cold hands and feet, and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled.
Besides ophthalmological standard examinations, blood pressure (RR) and
heart rate (HR) we performed perfusion measurements at the optic disk
(temporal superior (ts), temporal inferior (ti) and nasal (n) neuroretinal
rim area) using a Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF). During the whole
perfusion measurements the patients rested in a comfortable armchair.
After 30 minutes of relaxing, 2 consecutive HRF measurements were performed.
Than we needled the 4 typical eye points of the ear microsystem. After
15 minutes and after 1 hour RR, HR and HRF measurements were repeated.
Results: Whereas ophthalmological standard examinations (like visual
acuity and intraocular pressure) as well as systemic blood pressure and
HR remained stable, HRF measurements increased significantly (p<0.01)
at the ts, ti and n locations (8 - 32 %) after acupuncture in NTG patients
but not in healthy volunteers.
Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy may improve the perfusion of the
neuroretinal rim area in NTG patients with vascular dysregulations without
the side effects of other therapeutical approaches (like e.g. arterial
hypotension). Further studies are necessary to increase the number of
patients and to corraborate our findings.