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Visual function with acupuncture tested by visual evoked potential.
Yoshiko Sagara1, Nobuo Fuse, Motohiko Seimiya
1Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan.
The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
|June 17, 2006
Summary
Acupuncture stimulation may improve visual function in individuals with delayed P100 latencies, as measured by pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PR-VEP) tests. This study suggests PR-VEP can objectively assess acupuncture
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Visual evoked potential (VEP) objectively assesses visual function, with delayed P100 latency indicating optic nerve disease.
- Acupuncture is a traditional therapy with minimal side effects, but its efficacy for eye diseases lacks robust scientific evidence.
- Pattern reversal (PR)-VEP offers a quantitative method to evaluate acupuncture's impact on visual pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physiological effects of acupuncture stimulation on visual function in healthy subjects.
- To determine if acupuncture influences P100 latency in pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PR-VEP).
Main Methods:
- Nineteen healthy subjects (38 eyes) underwent PR-VEP testing before and after acupuncture stimulation.
- P100 latency was analyzed, comparing results between subjects with normal and delayed baseline latencies.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture significantly reduced P100 latency in subjects with baseline latencies longer than or equal to 101.7 msec (p = 0.006).
- No significant change in P100 latency was observed in subjects with normal baseline latencies (p = 0.88).
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture stimulation can improve visual function, specifically by reducing delayed P100 latencies in PR-VEP.
- PR-VEP serves as a valuable electrophysiological tool for objectively monitoring the effectiveness of acupuncture in enhancing visual function.