Pattern visual evoked potentials and glaucoma

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the informativity of pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) as an objective method for detection of early changes in the visual analyzer (VA) function in patients with preperimetric glaucoma. Material and methods: A group of 83 people was studied, of whom 36 patients with preperimetric glaucoma and 47 healthy individuals as controls. Full ophthalmological examination, standard automated perimetry (SAP), optical coherent tomography (OCT) and PVEPs were performed. The main variables that were considered in the results analysis were the latency (L), amplitude (A) and amplitude ratio (AR), reflecting the configuration of the wave forms. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 statistical package. Results: The comparative analysis between the PVEPs components values of patients from both groups demonstrated significant differences in the latencies of components P50, P100, N145 and P200 in central stimulation (15°). No significant differences were found in the paracentral stimulation (30°). The latencies of the glaucoma patients were longer than those of the controls. When we compared the PVEPs amplitudes in both groups we did not find statistically significant differences. They were found in the amplitude ratio "P50-N75 / N75-P100" in the central stimulation. Conclusion: PVEPs could be used as an objective method for registration of early changes in the VA function in preperimetric glaucoma, before the presence of any functional changes in SAP and significant structural changes at OCT, and also to monitor the changes in dynamics as they are non-invasive, harmless, fast and repeatable. © 2020 by the authors.