Electrodiagnostic tests Flashcards
What is the aim of electrodiagnostic tests (EDTs)?
provide objective evaluation of visual pathway function
What are the 6 basic tests used in the electrophysiology lab?
- Full-field ERG
- Pattern ERG (PERG)
- multifocal ERG (mfERG)
- EOG
- VEP
- dark adaptometry
How is each EDT interpreted?
by the polarity and amplitude of the electrophysical deflections and their latency (implicit time)
What is the society that sets the standardisation for EDTs?
International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV)
What is recorded by ERG?
the mass electrical actiity from the retina when stimulated by a flash of light
What are 4 indications for full field ERG?
- clinical presentation doesn’t always correlate with severity of visual symptoms
- confirm or eclude specific diagnosis
- prognostication
- assessment of retinal function in specific cases
What are 7 conditions that could be confirmed/excluded with full-field ERG?
- RP
- Leber’s congenital amaurosis (LCA)
- choroideraemia
- gyrate atrophy
- achromatopsia
- congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB)
- conde dystrophies
What are 5 examples of situations when assessment of retinal function with ffERG is required in specific cases?
- investigating family members for known hereditary retinal dystrophies
2.** carrier states** of retinal dystrophies - evaluation of suspected functional visual loss
- evaluation of retinal function in the context of opaque media
- evaluation of retinal function in uncooperative cases (e.g. paeds and learning difficulties)
What type of stimulation is used to perform full field ERG?
full-field (ganzfeld) stimulation
What eletrodes are used to achieve full-field (ganzfeld) stimulation?
electrodes that contact the cornea or nearby bulbar conjunctiva (CL electrodes, conductive fibres and foilds, conjunctival loop electrodes, corneal wicks)
What are 4 examples of electrodes that can be used for full-field (ganzfeld) ERG?
- Contact lens electrodes
- conductive fibres and foils
- conjunctival loop electrodes
- corneal wicks
What provides the result from a full-field ERG?
rod-response recorded in dark-adapted eyes (after 30 min in the dark)
In what state are the eyes to perform full-field ERG and how is this achieved?
dark-adapted - after 30 min in the dark
How is the maximal ERG response in ffERG obtained and which photoreceptors produce this response?
using a bright white flash - mixed rod and cones response
How are photopic repsonses from ffERG obtained (in bright light, chiefly cones)?
acquired with a background that suppresses rod activity;
* photopic single-flash cone response obtained in light-adapted eyes (after 10 min in the light)
* cone-derived flicker response is acquired using a 40Hz white light flicker stimulus
Why are rods unable to respond to the cone-derived flicker response with a 30Hz white light flicker stimulus?
due to their temporal resolution
What are the 3 key consistuents of the result from an ERG?
- negaive ‘a wave’
- positive ‘b wave’
- superimposed oscillatory potentials (OPs)
How long does the ERG response to a bright single-flash stimulus last?
<250ms
What are the 2 parameters relevant to the a wave and b wave on the ERG result?
- amplitude (microvolts)
- implicit time (milliseconds)
What does the negative a-wave of the ERG arise from?
photoreceptors
What does the positive b-wave of the ERG arise from (2 things)?
- bipolar cells
- Müller cells
What do OPs in the ERG recording arise from?
amacrine cells
What 2 parameters of the stimulus for ERG that can be varied and what additional factor can be varied, to selectively stimulate different parts of the eye?
- stimulus parameter: intensity
- stimulus parameter: frequency
- adaptive state of the eye
What can ERG be useful for in CRVO?
distinguishing between non-ischaemic and ischaemic CRVO
What is seen in large areas of ischaemia in the ERG in CRVO?
b-wave has reduced amplitude in large areas of ischaemia, causing reduced b:a wave ration, and/or prolonged b-wave implicit time
What does a normal full-field ERG look like?
What are 7 possible differentials for ERGs showing reduced a- and b-waves?
- Rod-cone dystrophies (including RP)
- Total retinal detachment
- Metallosis
- Drug toxicity (e.g. phenothiazines)
- Autoimmue retinopathy
- Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR)
- Ophthalmic artery occlusion
What are 7 differntials for full-field ERG showing normal a-wave with reduced scotopic b-wave?
- CSNB (congenital stationary night blindness)
- X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS)
- CRAO or CRVO
- Myotonic dystrophy
- Oguchi’s disease
- Quinine toxicity
- Melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR)
What are 2 differentials for ffERG showing abnormal photopic and normal scotopic ERGs?
- Achromatopsia
- Cone dystrophy