An automated and modified technique for testing: the retinal function (Arden test) by use of the electro-oculogram (EOG) for clinical and research use

The electro-oculogram (EOG) can be recorded by use of skin electrodes posit ioned near the eye in the horizontal or vertical plane and is dependent on the position of the eye relative to the electrodes and the size of the corn eo-retinal potential (CRP). By use of the functional relation between the r ecorded potential and the eye position - CRP is considered to be constant - the EOG is the eye movement recording method most often used. Changes in C RP dependent on luminance or metabolic influences call be measured, on the other hand, by means of the EOG when eye movements of constant amplitudes a re performed. The EOG in this paper is used in the latter sense. The widely used clinical test of rentinal function based on the electro-ocu logram firstly described by Arden (Arden index) has been modified to achiev e more precise and reliable results by including a gradual dark adaptation procedure and a special data analysis to detect fixation periods. Using mod ern techniques, the complete procedure has been automated. The efficiency o f the procedure and the device is demonstrated in various ways.