Effect of palmitoylethanolamide on inner retinal function in glaucoma: a randomized, single blind, crossover, clinical trial by pattern-electroretinogram
Randomised controlled trialHumans
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Subjects
- 42 patients with glaucoma enrolled at one centre in a crossover design. 40 completed.
- Dose used in the study
- 600 mg once a day by mouth, added to usual eye drops
- Duration
- Two 4-month periods, one with palmitoylethanolamide and one without, with no washout between
- What was measured
- An electrical test of retinal function (the pattern electroretinogram), eye pressure, visual field and a vision-related quality of life score
What the authors reported
The authors reported a higher retinal response amplitude during the palmitoylethanolamide period (0.56 microvolts, p < 0.001), eye pressure lower by 1.58 mmHg (p < 0.001) and a better quality of life score. They found no significant difference in visual field.
Limits of this study
Single-blind: the assessors were blinded and the patients were not, and there was no placebo. The crossover had no washout period. The visual field, which is what glaucoma threatens, did not change. The authors name the small sample and the short follow-up as limits. Funding was not visible on the page checked.
Source
doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67527-z
Entry checked against the full text at the publisher (Nature) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.