BRAIN ELECTRICAL-ACTIVITY MAPPING IN THE STUDY OF VISUAL DEVELOPMENT AND AMBLYOPIA IN YOUNG-CHILDREN

Brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) allows the study of electrica l visual reactivity on a computerized electroencephalogram (EEG). We c arried out 150 BEAM studies on 120 infants to evaluat the usefulness a nd reliability of this noninvasive technique in the assessment of visi on in very young children, compared with other methods (clinical testi ng, preferential looking, and visual evoked potentials). BEAM demonstr ated amblyopia at a cortical level and showed specific electrical sign s of amblyopia. The visual reactivity was variably affected depending on the type of amblyopia present. In addition, different results of BE AM corresponded to different kinds of visual maturation delay and stra bismus in the absence of amblyopia. BEAM appears to be useful in the i nitial screening and during treatment of deprivation and strabismic am blyopia, especially when other methods have failed to elicit the level of vision.