Conditions: Dry Eye
Keywords: Dry eye environmental stress artificial tears cyclosporin Restasis
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 4
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will test that hypothesis that topical administration of the FDA approved immunomodulatory agent cyclosporin A emulsion will minimize irritation and ocular surface disease that results from a short term low humidity environmental stress

Detailed description:
This is a pilot study designed to evaluate the effect of two conventional dry eye therapies, artificial tears to hydrate and cyclosporine A as an anti-inflammatory, on the irritation symptoms and ocular surface disease of dry eye patients who will be exposed to a low humidity environment for 90 minutes. Patients with dry eye will be enrolled in this study and complete a validated symptom questionnaire and then undergo a complete ocular surface and tear examination to characterize their disease. Enrolled subjects will be exposed to a low humidity environment at the initial evaluation prior to any treatment and will be exposed to a low humidity environment for a second time. They will be randomized to receive either artificial tears or 0.05% cyclosporine A emulsion drop four times a day for 6 weeks.

Arms:
arm 1: used in the eye 4 times a day arm 2: Over the Counter artificial tears used in the eye 4 times a day

Interventions: intervention 1: Cyclosporin 0.05% emulsion intervention 2: Endura, Refresh artificial tears
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Topical therapy for dry eye intervention 2: Over the counter therapy for dry eye, used 4 times a day

Protocol document: