Effectiveness of the addition of citicoline to patching in the treatment of amblyopia around visual maturity: A randomized controlled trial

AIM: To study the effectiveness of the addition of citicoline to patching in the treatment of amblyopia in the age group of 4-13 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial, which included patients who were randomly divided into two groups. Both the groups received patching therapy till plateau was achieved in phase 1 of the study. Then in phase 2, group I received citicoline plus patching and group II continued to receive only patching. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome was measured by the visual acuity in logMAR every month in phase 1 till plateau was achieved and then for 12 months in phase 2. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the mean visual acuities in these two groups in phase 1 till plateau was reached. In phase 2, for the initial four months, there was no significant difference in the visual acuities in these two groups, at the respective intervals. However, five months onward, up to 12 months, there was a significant difference in the visual acuities in these groups. The result was the same in younger patients (< seven years of age) as well as in older patients (> seven years of age). In phase 2, the mean proportional improvement in group I was significantly more than that in group II, at two months and onward, at the respective intervals. CONCLUSION: The improvement in visual acuity with citicoline plus patching was significantly more than that with patching alone, in one year of treatment.