News
| Research
For intracranial hypertension,
new findings with an old drug
F
or patients with idiopathic
intracranial hypertension
(IIH), national study findings
have shown that an inexpensive drug,
acetazolamide, when combined with a
weight loss plan, improves vision for
patients who have mild visual loss.
The trial was funded by the
National Eye Institute and was
conducted at the Emory Eye Center
and 27 other sites across the country.
The study sought to assist with the
management of IIH, also known as
pseudomotor cerebri, which causes
increased pressure around the brain.
IIH predominantly affects
women of reproductive age who are
overweight. It is estimated that some
100,000 Americans have it, with the
number rising as the proportion of the
population who is overweight grows.
Symptoms include headaches and
visual problems, including blind
spots, poor side (peripheral) vision,
double vision, and temporary
episodes of blindness. Some 5% to
10% of women with IIH experience
disabling vision loss.
“The study provides the
necessary evidence that
acetazolamide, which neuroophthalmologists have used
off-label for years, is indeed a
beneficial part of our treatment
plans for IIH.” says neuroophthalmologist Bruce Bruce,
principal investigator for the trial
at the Emory Eye Center.
IIH’s high pressure around the
brain can lead to swelling and
damage of the nerves that connect the
eye to the brain. A weight reduction of
5% to 10% can help improve symptoms.
The drug acetazolamide is known to
reduce fluid production in the brain
and is often used as an add-on therapy
for IIH. In severe cases, surgical
procedures may