Objective To explore the effect and possible advantages of acupuncture in treating optic atrophy based on cumulative Meta-analysis.Methods Cochrane Library

Pub Med

EMbase（ Excerpta Medica database）

AMED

Nature

Science Online

World Sci Net

Chinese Biomedical Literature Database Disc（ CBM）

China national knowledge infrastructure（ CNKI） and Wanfang Data

etc.were searched.Randomized controlled trials and clinical controlled trials of comparing acupuncture or acupuncture & medicine with medicine in treating optic atrophy were included.Quality assessment and bias risk assessment were conducted on the research methodology of included papers.Data collection forms were made and data were collected.Cumulative Meta-analysis was performed on the main outcome index（ total effective rate） and second outcome indexes: visual acuity

visual field（ including average light sensitivity and mean defect）

pattern visual evoked potential P100 amplitude and latent time.The time trend of the results was examined.Results Sixteen researches were included

with cumulative sample size of 1369.Methodological quality of included papers was generally low.Included papers were of high homogeneity

with low publication bias risk.There was no significant difference in improving patients’ pattern visual evoked potential P100 amplitude between the treatment group and the control group [SMD = 0.11

95% CI（-0.20

0.43）

Z = 0.69

P = 0.49].Except that

other indexes in the treatment group were all superior to those in the control group.The total effective rate in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group [RR = 0.39

95% CI（ 0.31

0.47） ].As for improving patients’ visual acuity

the treatment group was superior to the control group [SMD = 0.67

95% CI（ 0.38

0.96） ].As for improving patients’ visual field average light sensitivity

the treatment group was superior[SMD = 0.55

95% CI（ 0.32

0.77） ].As for improving patients’ visual field mean defect

the treatment group was superior [SMD =-0.42

95% CI（-0.65

-0.19） ].As for improving patients’ pattern visual evoked potential P100 latent time

the treatment group was superior [SMD =-0.38

95% CI（-0.63

-0.14） ].The differences of those results were significant（ P < 0.05）.As for time trend examination

two indexes of visual field and P100 latent time had no volatility in time changes

while the examination results of other indexes showed that the results were not stable yet.Conclusion Acupuncture or acupuncture & medicine treatment for optic atrophy is superior to medicine treatment in the aspects of improving patients’ visual acuity

visual field and total effective rate.However

the exact conclusion needs to be proved by high-quality

large-sample and multi-center randomized controlled trials.