STEADY-STATE PVECP IS SUPERIOR TO TRANSIENT PVECP IN THE DIAGNOSIS OFOPTIC NEURITIS

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic value for optic neuritis between tr ansient pattern visual evoked potentials (PVECP) and steady-state PVEC P, Subjects & Methods: We retrospectively studied 86 eyes of 69 patien ts with optic neuritis who visited our clinic. PVECPs to 3 rev/sec sti mulation (transient) and 12 rev/sec stimulation (steady-state), were r ecorded in all patients. Results: All of the cases with non-recordable transient PVECP showed non recordable steady-state PVECP, Conversely; the cases with non-recordable steady-state PVECP often showed measura ble transient PVECP where the latency of the P100 component was delaye d. In 51 cases with unilateral optic neuritis the amplitude ratio of t he P100; affected eye/non-affected eye was significantly smaller in th e steady-state PVECP than in the transient PVECP. Conclusion: To detec t visual dysfunction in optic neuritis, a steady-state PVECP was more sensitive than a transient PVECP.