Twenty-seven patients with bilateral visual field damage resulting from NTG.
Intervention
Patients received 40 mg GBE, administered orally, three times daily for 4 weeks, followed by a wash-out period of 8 weeks, then 4 weeks of placebo treatment (identical capsules filled with 40 mg fructose). Other patients underwent the same regimen, but took the placebo first and the GBE last. Visual field tests, performed at baseline and at the end of each phase of the study, were evaluated for changes.
Main outcome measures
Change in visual field and any ocular or systemic complications.
Results
After GBE treatment, a significant improvement in visual fields indices was recorded: mean deviation (MD) at baseline versus MD after GBE treatment, 11.40 ± 3.27 dB versus 8.78 ± 2.56 dB (t = 8.86, P = 0.0001, chi-square test); corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD) at baseline versus CPSD after GBE treatment, 10.93 ± 2.12 dB versus 8.13 ± 2.12 dB (t = 9.89, P = 0.0001, chi-square test). No significant changes were found in intraocular pressure, blood pressure, or heart rate after placebo or GBE treatment. Any ocular and systemic side effects were recorded for the duration of the trial.
Conclusions
Ginkgo biloba extract administration appears to improve preexisting visual field damage in some patients with NTG.
1Centro Glaucoma, Clinica Oculistica Università di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
2Clinica Oculistica, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
Correspondence to Luciano Quaranta, MD, Clinica Oculistica, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
ABSTRACT