Acupuncture for the Treatment of Vision Loss Due to Retinitis Pigmentosa

NCT ID: NCT01604356

Last Updated: 2014-03-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 19 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2013-12-31

Brief 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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Electro-acupuncture

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Electro-acupuncture

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

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.

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 10+
• Diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa
• Best-corrected visual acuity better than 20/400 in at least one eye
• More than 20% loss of Goldmann Visual Field area (III4e) in at least one eye
• Able and willing to participate in all study visits in Baltimore for the 8-week program
• Provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Very severe vision losses in both eyes (e.g., hand motions or light perception only) with difficulty performing the proposed vision tests
• Vision loss due to ocular diseases other than RP, cystoid macular edema, or cataracts
• Schedules do not permit participation in all study visits
• Previous acupuncture treatment in the last 6 months
• Inability to understand study procedures or communicate responses to visual stimuli in a consistent manner (cognitive impairment)
• Dementia; Long or short-term memory loss
• Unable to read or speak English
• Smoking, substance abuse, or illegal drug use
• Receiving current psychiatric care (i.e. unstable emotional and mental health status)
• History of excessive bleeding

• Minimum Eligible Age: 10 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Johns Hopkins University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ava Bittner

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

NA_00050691

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id