[Effects of transcorneal electrical stimulation in patients with Stargardt's disease]. / Transkorneale Elektrostimulation bei Patienten mit Morbus Stargardt.

Stargardt's disease is an autosomal recessive inherited juvenile macular degeneration and at present no acknowledged science-based therapy is available for these patients. Recently, reports have been published on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in experimental animal models and in patients with neurodegenerative ocular disease, particularly retinitis pigmentosa. This study included 12 patients with Stargardt's disease who were randomized into one of three groups (n = 4) with 0% (sham), 66% or 150% of the individual electrically stimulated phosphene threshold. Outcome measures of the study were safety and efficacy of transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) with DTL electrodes in subjective and objective parameters of visual function under therapy. In general TES was well tolerated and no adverse or serious events were noted. Neither Ganzfeld, multifocal ERG, OCT nor visual field testing showed statistically significant changes in any group.

[Otoneurological and biochemical research on the drivers of motor vehicles]. / Otonevrologicheni i biokhimichni izsledvaniia pri vodachi na motorni prevozni sredstva.

The aim of the study is to follow up the changes in auditory and vestibular systems, common interactions between the sensory systems and the changes in some biochemical indices after vestibular loading in drivers. Several groups of drivers of heavy freight trucks were studied, aged from 25-60 and a length of service from 5 to 30 years, according to a standard programme for otoneurological examination and application of modern otoneurological methods. The biochemical investigations were performed to 32 healthy and 19 sick drivers with vestibular disorders, prior to and post vestibular provocation. The following biochemical indices were studied: serotonin, histamine, cholinesterase activity, glucose, GOT, GPT, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, potassium, sodium, chlorides, inorganic phosphorus. The biochemical changes, associated with vestibular loading of organism were established not to be strongly manifested and coming out of the frames of the normal values, nevertheless, they are significant for a given subject and should not be neglected. The data are of importance in the vocational selection of driver-applicants, prophylaxis and treatment of those working under stress situations and extreme impacts.