Evaluate how low vision is impacting an individual’s activities of daily living and formulate a plan to improve their independence and safety.
Low vision exam
Demonstration of magnifiers, telescopes, glare reducers, and daily living aids
Implantable Miniature Telescope; the CentraSight Program
Microcurrent for slowing vision loss from macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy
Youtube video on how to use the Custom Care or Inspirstar machine
Solutions for low vision begin with an exam that entails a careful refraction to optimize remaining vision, exploration of how the patient’s daily life activities have been limited by vision loss, and demonstration of ways to improve independence and safety.
Low Vision Aides
Lighted hand and stand magnifiers
Digital magnifiers
Telescopes for spotting,
Bioptic telescopes for driving
Tints to reduce glare
The Visionize device: this head mounted digital magnifier uses a virtual reality headset with s dedicated cell phone to create a magnifying “bubble”. The size and degree of magnification can be controlled by the tip of your finger right on the head set. See http://www.visionizellc.com/
community resources
You may be a candidate for the implantable miniature telescope developed by VisionCare Inc. See the www.CentraSight.com website for a complete description of this program.
Follow up training in the use of low vision aides is offered as needed.
New treatments: research has shown that vision loss in some progressive eye diseases may be slowed by the use of microcurrent stimulation.
A new area that may offer a solution to slowing vision loss in some progressive eye diseases is the use of frequency specific microcurrent. This technology dates back to the late 1800’s. The 1980’s brought a revival in the use of microcurrent in the area of physical medicine and rehab spearheaded by Carol McMakin, DC. See www.frequencyspecific.com; a number of excellent research articles can be found there. Serious research has been going on in applying microcurrent to vision conditions beginning in the 1970’s. Much of the most recent research is taking place in universities in Germany, Russia and Japan, with some research taking place in the United States.
Dr. Chaikin has been a leader in this field, investigating possibilities of frequency specific microcurrent as taught by Carol McMakin applied to various eye diseases over the past 15 years. In 2015 she published an efficacy and safety trial done in collaboration with the Retina Institute of Hawaii in the Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology. At the bottom of this page interested parties may find a list of basic science studies and clinical studies
The data presented in Dr. Chaikin’s published research has not been reviewed by the FDA, but has been peer reviewed for publication. The microcurrent devices used are approved by the FDA for the treatment of pain, but they have not been approved for other uses. The use of a device for an off-label use by a physician is legal. The use of microcurrent stimulation discussed here is only one part of a comprehensive program for supporting visual health, and should not replace any treatment prescribed by your physician.
Articles of interest:
Note: most human trials were done using transcorneal microcurrent that was non frequency specific. Three studies (Shinoda, Anastassiou and Chaikin) were done trans-palpebral (through the eyelid). Only one was done using frequency specific (Chaikin).
Anastassiou G, Schneegans AL, Selbach M, Kremmer S. Transpalpebral electrotherapy for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD): An exploratory trial. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2013; 31:571-8.
Fujikado T, Morimoto T, Matsushita K, Shimojo H, Okawa Y, Tano Y. Effect of transcorneal electrical stimulation in patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy or traumatic optic neuropathy. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2006;50:266-73.
Oono S, Kurimoto T, Kashimoto R, Tagami Y, Okamoto N, Mimura O. Transcorneal electrical stimulation improves visual function in eyes with branch retinal artery occlusion. Clin Ophthalmol 2011;5:397-402.
Ozeki N, Shinoda K, Ohde H, Ishida S, Tsubota K. Improvement of visual acuity after transcorneal electrical stimulation in case of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy. Graefes Arch Clin Exper Opthalmol 2013; 251:1867-1970.
Röck T, Schatz A, Naycheva L, Gosheva M, Pach J, Wilhelm B, Peters T, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Zrenner E, Willmann G, Gekeler F. Effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in patients with Stargardt’s disease. Ophthalmologe 2013;110:68-73.
Sabel B, Fedorov A, Naue N, Borrmann A, Herrmann C, Gall C. Non-invasive alternating current stimulation improves vision in optic neuropathy. Restor Neurol & Neuros 29 2011;493-505.
Schatz A, Röck T, Naycheva L, Willmann G, Wilhelm B, Peters T, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Zrenner E, Messias A, Gekeler F. Transcorneal electrical stimulation for patients with retinitis pigmentosa: a prospective, randomized, sham-controlled exploratory study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2011;52:4485-96.
Shinoda K, Imamura Y, Matsuda S, Seki M, Uchida A, Grossman T, Tsubota K. Transcutaneous electrical retinal stimulation therapy for age-related macular degeneration. Open Ophthalmol J 2008;2:132-6.
Animal Studies:
Atalay B, Bolay H, Dalkara T, Soylemezoglu F, Oge K, Ozcan OE. Transcorneal stimulation of trigeminal nerve afferents to increase cerebral blood flow in rats with cerebral vasospasm: a noninvasive method to activate the trigeminovascular reflex. J Neurosurg 2002;97:1179-83.
Henrich-Noack P, Voigt N, Prilloff S, Fedorov A, Sabel BA. Transcorneal electrical stimulation alters morphology and survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve damage. Neurosci Lett 2013;543:1-6.
Morimoto T, Fujikado T, Choi JS, Kanda H, Miyoshi T, Fukuda Y, Tano Y. Transcorneal electrical stimulation promotes the survival of photoreceptors and preserves retinal function in royal college of surgeons rats. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2007;48:4725-32.
Morimoto T, Kanda H, Kondo M, Terasaki H, Nishida K, Fujikado T. Transcorneal electrical stimulation promotes survival of photoreceptors and improves retinal function in rhodopsin P347L transgenic rabbits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012;53:4254-61.
Ni YQ, Gan DK, Xu HD, Xu GZ, Da CD. Neuroprotective effect of transcorneal electrical stimulation on light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Exp Neurol 2009;219:439-52.
Tagami Y, Kurimoto T, Miyoshi T, Morimoto T, Sawai H, Mimura O. Axonal regeneration induced by repetitive electrical stimulation of crushed optic nerve in adult rats. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2009:53:257-66.
Wang X, Mo X, Li D, Wang Y, Fang Y, Rong X, Miao H, Shou T. Neuroprotective effect of transcorneal electrical stimulation on ischemic damage in the rat retina. Exp Eye Res 2011;93:753-60.
Willmann G, Schäferhoff K, Fischer MD, Arango-Gonzalez B, Bolz S, Naycheva L, Röck T, Bonin M, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Zrenner E, Schatz A, Gekeler F. Gene expression profiling of the retina after transcorneal electrical stimulation in wild-type Brown Norway rats. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2011;52:7529-37.
Zhou WT, Ni YQ, Jin ZB, Zhang M, Wu JH, Zhu Y, Xu GZ, Gan DK. Electrical stimulation ameliorates light-induced photoreceptor degeneration in vitro via suppressing the proinflammatory effect of microglia and enhancing the neurotrophic potential of Müller cells. Exp Neurol 2012;238:192-208.
