Near-infrared Light (NIR) Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Pilot Study

Summary of Study Rationale Near-infrared light (NIR) via light-emitting diodes (LED) treatment promotes retinal healing and improve visual function following high intensity laser retinal injury by augmenting cellular energy metabolism, enhances mitochondrial function, increases cytochrome C oxidase activity, stimulates antioxidant protective pathways, and promotes cell survival. LED directly benefits injured neurons in the retina, the lateral geniculate nucleus, and the visual cortex, where perception occurs. From a public health perspective, a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Array study is important to conduct because it has been approved as a non-significant risk (NSR) device for treatment of eye disorders, it has a low cost of treatment, and it may serve as an effective, non-invasive alternative or adjunctive treatment to laser photocoagulation, the current standard of care for DME. Study Objectives and Hypotheses 1. To determine the effects of short term (3 month) near-infrared light (NIR) therapy on anatomic and functional abnormalities of diabetic macular edema as assessed by visual acuity, optical coherence tomography, multifocal electroretinography (mERG) and fundus bimicroscopy. 2. To assess safety of short term near-infrared light therapy in eyes with diabetic macular edema.