Comparison of VEP with contrast sensitivity and other measurements of central visual function

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparison of VEP with contrast sensitivity and other measurements of central visual function

AU - Kromer, Robert

AU - Serbecic, Nermin

AU - Krastel, Hermann

AU - Beutelspacher, Sven C

N1 - © 2013 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2014/3

Y1 - 2014/3

N2 - PURPOSE: In order to evaluate alternative visual acuity testing techniques, especially to discriminate between small changes and for high visual acuity, we conducted a study covering several state-of-the-art techniques.METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a homogeneous cohort of healthy and young patients (n = 33; 66 eyes) underwent ETDRS vision acuity (VA) testing, testing for contrast sensitivity (CS), VA determination with spatial frequency sweep visual evoked potentials (VEP) and a series of examinations of perifoveal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) using Spectralis SD-OCT. To simulate the effect of artificial media opacity, CS, and VEP were repeated with Bangerter foils.RESULTS: We found that Bangerter foils can be used to reduce VA effectively measured by VA testing and VEP VA. CS correlated significantly with VA (correlation coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.77). VEP may be used to estimate VA; nevertheless, we found no significant correlation. RNFLT did not correlate significantly with VA.CONCLUSION: CS seems to correlate well with VA when used for high VA. All other used examinations seem to have difficulties distinguishing between small differences in VA or when the VA is high.

AB - PURPOSE: In order to evaluate alternative visual acuity testing techniques, especially to discriminate between small changes and for high visual acuity, we conducted a study covering several state-of-the-art techniques.METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a homogeneous cohort of healthy and young patients (n = 33; 66 eyes) underwent ETDRS vision acuity (VA) testing, testing for contrast sensitivity (CS), VA determination with spatial frequency sweep visual evoked potentials (VEP) and a series of examinations of perifoveal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) using Spectralis SD-OCT. To simulate the effect of artificial media opacity, CS, and VEP were repeated with Bangerter foils.RESULTS: We found that Bangerter foils can be used to reduce VA effectively measured by VA testing and VEP VA. CS correlated significantly with VA (correlation coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.77). VEP may be used to estimate VA; nevertheless, we found no significant correlation. RNFLT did not correlate significantly with VA.CONCLUSION: CS seems to correlate well with VA when used for high VA. All other used examinations seem to have difficulties distinguishing between small differences in VA or when the VA is high.

KW - Contrast Sensitivity

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Evoked Potentials, Visual

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Tomography, Optical Coherence

KW - Visual Acuity

KW - Visual Cortex

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1111/aos.12176

DO - 10.1111/aos.12176

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 23826869

VL - 92

SP - e141-6

JO - ACTA OPHTHALMOL

JF - ACTA OPHTHALMOL

SN - 1755-375X

IS - 2

ER -