The Effects of Optic Disc Drusen on the Latency of the Pattern-Reversal Checkerboard and Multifocal Visual Evoked Potentials

Abstract

PURPOSE To determine the effect of optic disc drusen on the latency of the pattern-reversal checkerboard visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and multifocal (mf)VEPs and to better understand the pathophysiology of the condition. METHODS Eighteen eyes with optic disc drusen (10 patients) and 38 control eyes (19 subjects) underwent VEP, mfVEP, and visual field testing. Only one eye of each individual, the one with the more affected visual field, was used in the analyses. The VEPs were recorded with a 15′ and 60′ reversing checkerboard pattern, and the mfVEPs were elicited by a 60-sector dartboard display. RESULTS Unlike the VEP results, the mfVEP revealed a significant increase in the average monocular latency of the optic disc drusen group compared with that of the control group. The average mfVEP relative latency for the optic disc drusen group (4.1 ms) was greater than that (0.8 ms) in the control group. For monocular and interocular analyses, the average percentage of points delayed in the drusen group was significantly greater than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Optic disc drusen produced significant latency delays on the mfVEP test but not on the VEP test, presumably due to the mfVEP’s ability to detect the effects of local changes. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that local mechanical compression by optic disc drusen leads to abnormal retinal ganglion cell activity.

Multifocal visual evoked potentials for quantifying optic nerve dysfunction in patients with optic disc drusen

“…Unlike the IR and outer ring analysis, overall P2P amplitude was, however, not significantly different between the groups. Only a single study assessing ODD patients using mfVEP has to our knowledge been published (Grippo et al 2009). As SNR is derived from signal and noise window amplitude, variation due to background noise is decreased (Zhang et al 2002).…”

“…Up to 87% of ODD patients seen in outpatient clinics have visual field defects (Lorentzen 1966;Malmqvist et al 2016b). Small localized defects often seen in patients with ODD are therefore obscured (Grippo et al 2009). The VEP represents the overall sum of potentials generated by visual inputs.…”

“…The VEP represents the overall sum of potentials generated by visual inputs. Small localized defects often seen in patients with ODD are therefore obscured (Grippo et al 2009). This might be the reason of conflicting VEP results in ODD patients.…”

The Effect of a Decrease in Intraocular Pressure on Optic Nerve Function in Patients with Optic Nerve Drusen

“…Stevens and Newman [12] found a VEP abnormality in 97.2% of the eyes with ODD. Grippo et al [21] obtained different results. They did not observe a statistically significant delay in P100 latency following the check size of 1° and 15′.…”

Beta-zone parapapillary atrophy and multifocal visual evoked potentials in eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy

“…The percentage of sectors with abnormal responses (latencies and amplitudes) out of the number of all sectors with measurable responses was calculated. That is, sectors with responses with SNR below a criterion level were excluded for latency analysis [34, 35]. …”