THE VISUAL-EVOKED RESPONSE IN INFANTS WITH CENTRAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

We studied ten children with central visual impairment with a known ne urologic defect and an abnormal visual-evoked response who had results of repeat electrophysiologic testing evaluated at the Children's Hosp ital of Philadelphia from December 1989 through July 1991. Central vis ual impairment is defined as poor visual function with a normal anteri or visual pathway. Age at first examination ranged from 5 to 48 months with a follow-up of two to 31 months. Repeat visual-evoked response t esting showed improvement in seven patients and no change in three. Gr ating acuity as measured by the Teller acuity card procedure, performe d in nine of ten patients, improved in seven, showed no change in one, and declined in one. We found a potentially favorable prognosis for t hose infants with central visual impairment, despite an initially abno rmal visual-evoked response. We used a clinical approach to this disor der to improve diagnostic categorization and prognostic capabilities i n central visual impairment.