The pattern electroretinogram and the pattern visually evoked potentials in disorders of the optic nerve : an electrophysiological and clinical study

Three major groups of optie nerve disturbances were investigated. Each of them may result in darnage to the optie nerve fibres with a subsequent ganglion cel! degeneration, though the mechanisms as wel! as the sites of the darnage are slightly different. The following groups were studied: - Glaucoma (subdivided in ocular hypertension, primary open angle glaucoma and normal pressure glaucoma). Mechanica! compression by the intraocular pressure as wel! as ischaemia may be responsible for the darnage to the nerve fibres at the optie nerve head within the eye. - Ophthalmic Graves' disease (OGD) with a possible darnage to the intraorbital part of the optie nerve due to direct compression by the ocular muscles. - Optie neuritis /Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Inflarnmatory processes as wel! as demyelination may result in optie nerve atrophy. All three patient groups underwent the same series of exarninations including standardised ophthalmological exarnination, contrast sensitivity measurement, visual field exarnination and of course electrodiagnostic exarnination (PVEP and PERG).