Electrical stimulation of the visual analyzer in the rehabilitation of flying personnel with abnormal refraction
Okovitov, V.V.
Aviakosmicheskaia i Ekologicheskaia Meditsina 34(2): 58-61
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0233-528X PMID: 10826066 Document Number: 513884
The authors propose an original technique of rehabilitative treatment of visual disorders in flying personnel, i.e. transconjunctival electroophthalmostimulation, which utilizes a specially developed ophthalmoscopic electrostimulator (ESOF-1). The technique was applied to 312 flyers with deteriorated visual acuity due to refraction abnormalities. After the course of 10 stimulation sessions, the far- and near-sight acuity was noted to improve by 48% and 38%, respectively, accommodation volume by 51%, accommodation reserve by 65%, and contrast sensitivity by 23%. This gain in vision remained after one year since treatment but slightly declined (23-38%) by the end of the second year of follow-up. Moreover, the results of therapy were not dependent on severity and type of refraction, or age of a patient. Without treatment, 56% of pilots and 68% of navigators would have been grounded for the reason of bad vision. Transconjunctival electroophthalmostimulation enabled 90% of the flyers to continue their career.