A Canadian study showed dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) patients receiving active microcurrent therapy had an average Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity improvement from 19.6 to 27.8 letters over 30 weeks, which was maintained by the study’s end.
Led by British Columbia ophthalmologist Dr Kevin Parkinson, the trial used transpalpebral external microcurrent electrical stimulation with the MacuMira device, in what the team described as the largest study of microcurrent treatment for dry AMD. Of the 62 subjects, 43 received four treatments in the first two weeks and two further treatments at weeks 14 and 26. The remaining 19 participants formed the sham control group.
Researchers concluded their data provided cautious optimism that microcurrent treatment can improve vision in dry AMD patients for at least 30 weeks.
