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Essa S1, Mostafa Y1, Elhafez H2, Fathi S3, Ahmed A4, El Fayoumy N4
1Cairo University/ National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences, Medical Applications of Lasers, Giza, Egypt, 2Cairo University, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Basic Sciences, Giza, Egypt, 3Cairo University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurology, Giza, Egypt, 4Cairo University, Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology, Giza, Egypt
Background: Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, causing irreversible deficits of the visual pathway with unknown effective treatment yet.
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of two original phototherapy programs on reversing the damage caused by multiple sclerosis to the neurophysiological functions of Optic nerves.
Methods: 24 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, from both sexes completed the study, age 25-45 years; randomly assigned into four groups.
7 patients in the control group (1);
received monthly (1 g) IV infusion of Solu-Medrol. 6 Patients in group (2) received Solu-Medrol plus low intensity laser therapy LILT 850 nm.
6 patients in group (3) received Solu-Medrol plus broad band ultraviolet B radiation BB-UVBR (280-320 nm).
5 patients in group (4) received Solu-Medrol, scanner LILT and BB-UVBR; all three groups received sessions 3 days/week for 12 sessions.
Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were assessed pre-treatment, post treatment, 3 months follow up.
Results: Highly significant improvement (p=.009) of the right Optic nerve was recorded in the BB -UVBR group, and was sustainable at follow up. Lesser improvements were recorded in the (LILT+UVBR) group, VEP of the right eye showed significant improvement (p=.022). However; no statistically significant improvements were recorded between the four groups post treatment and at follow up (p≥0.05).
Conclusion(s): BB-UVBR therapy solely has the potential to efficiently ameliorate the severity of disability status and reverse Optic neuritis, rather than LILT with a counterproductive role of the combination therapy.
Implications:
1- Findings of the current study suggest that UVBR is the first therapy that can safely and efficiently reverse the chronically damaged Optic nerves in a short period of time and sustain changes for a relatively long term.
2- UVBR has a potent and relatively fast ameliorating effect on severity of disability that consequently improving the activities of daily life and physical work capacity.
3- Both UVBR and LILT proposed treatment programs should be included in the treatment of individuals with relapsing- remitting multiple sclerosis as supplemental immunomodulatory therapies.
Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Broad Band Ultraviolet B Radiation, Low Intensity Laser Therapy
Funding acknowledgements: Individual funding
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of two original phototherapy programs on reversing the damage caused by multiple sclerosis to the neurophysiological functions of Optic nerves.
Methods: 24 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, from both sexes completed the study, age 25-45 years; randomly assigned into four groups.
7 patients in the control group (1);
received monthly (1 g) IV infusion of Solu-Medrol. 6 Patients in group (2) received Solu-Medrol plus low intensity laser therapy LILT 850 nm.
6 patients in group (3) received Solu-Medrol plus broad band ultraviolet B radiation BB-UVBR (280-320 nm).
5 patients in group (4) received Solu-Medrol, scanner LILT and BB-UVBR; all three groups received sessions 3 days/week for 12 sessions.
Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were assessed pre-treatment, post treatment, 3 months follow up.
Results: Highly significant improvement (p=.009) of the right Optic nerve was recorded in the BB -UVBR group, and was sustainable at follow up. Lesser improvements were recorded in the (LILT+UVBR) group, VEP of the right eye showed significant improvement (p=.022). However; no statistically significant improvements were recorded between the four groups post treatment and at follow up (p≥0.05).
Conclusion(s): BB-UVBR therapy solely has the potential to efficiently ameliorate the severity of disability status and reverse Optic neuritis, rather than LILT with a counterproductive role of the combination therapy.
Implications:
1- Findings of the current study suggest that UVBR is the first therapy that can safely and efficiently reverse the chronically damaged Optic nerves in a short period of time and sustain changes for a relatively long term.
2- UVBR has a potent and relatively fast ameliorating effect on severity of disability that consequently improving the activities of daily life and physical work capacity.
3- Both UVBR and LILT proposed treatment programs should be included in the treatment of individuals with relapsing- remitting multiple sclerosis as supplemental immunomodulatory therapies.
Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Broad Band Ultraviolet B Radiation, Low Intensity Laser Therapy
Funding acknowledgements: Individual funding
Topic: Neurology
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Cairo University
Ethics committee: National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences Ethical committee
Ethics number: NILES IBR: 19/11/2012
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
