Clinical Trial: A Comparison of the Effect of Dorzolamide and Timolol on Optic Disk Blood Flow in Patients With Open Angle Glaucoma

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: A Double-masked Comparison of the Effect of Dorzolamide and Timolol on Optic Disk Blood Flow in Patients With Open Angle Glaucoma

Brief Summary:

Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness in the industrialized nations. For a long time glaucoma has been defined as a disease in which high intraocular pressure (IOP) leads to irreversible optic disk damage and concommitant visual field loss. However, recent investigations show that IOP is not necessarily an adequate measure of clinical severity or a predictor of clinical progression: about 20% of all eyes with high IOP do not develop visual field loss and some patients suffering from visual field loss due to optic disk damage have normal IOP. Hence, factors other than IOP are likely involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The role of vascular factors in the pathogenesis of glaucoma has recently received much attention and optic nerve head hypoperfusion may play a critical role in the development of glaucoma. It may therefore be important for an optimal prevention of visual field defects in glaucoma that the topical antiglaucoma drugs used do not only reduce IOP but also stabilize or enhance the perfusion of the optic nerve head.

Therefore, the aim of the present study is to compare the effect of a 3 months treatment with timolol or dorzolamide in patients with open angle glaucoma on optic disk blood flow.


Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna

Current Primary Outcome:

  • Percent change over baseline after 3 months of treatment of optic disk blood flow measured with the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter [ Time Frame: 5 minutes measurement of optic disk blood flow on 3 study days ]
  • Percent change over baseline after 3 months of treatment of fundus pulsation amplitude (FPA) in the optic disk as assessed with laser interferometry [ Time Frame: 5 minutes measurement of FPA on 3 study days ]


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

Original Secondary Outcome:

Information By: Medical University of Vienna

Dates:
Date Received: October 7, 2009
Date Started: May 1999
Date Completion:
Last Updated: October 7, 2009
Last Verified: October 2009