The Relationship Between Optical Coherence Tomography and Visually Evoked Potentials and Disability in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Due to the absence of myelin in retinal neurons, they represent a good structure to exhibit axonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis. Optical coherence tomography is a relatively new technique that shows axonal damage by measuring the retinal nerve fibre layer. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a relationship between OCT and visually evoked potentials and disability related to the disease in patients with multiple sclerosis. The study included 30 patients diagnosed as relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, 10 as secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and 20 control subjects. The P100 wave was obtained with pattern visually evoked potential. Optical coherence tomography was used to measure the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. The findings were compared with Expanded Disability Status Scale scores in the patient groups. The secondary progressive group had thinner nerve fibre layer than the controls (P < 0.001). In both patient groups, P100 wave latency was more prolonged than the controls and this result was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In the secondary progressive group, the reduction in visually evoked potential amplitude was also significant (P < 0.001). No relationship between the disability of either multiple sclerosis group and optical coherence tomograpy and visually evoked potential findings was found (P > 0.05).