Visual evoked potentials among Indian patients with optic nerve disorders

Optic nerve disorders comprise a large part of causes of visual impairments and can be associated with various clinical presentations. Accurate diagnosis and treatment sometimes would be achieved by using advanced techniques in diagnostic approaches such as Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP). This study therefore profiles optic nerve disorders and estimates the role VEP plays in the diagnosis and prognosis of these conditions in a rural tertiary care hospital. Hundred cases diagnosed with optic nerve disorders and 200 controls matched for age and gender were recruited from the Eye OPD. Structured questionnaires, clinical examination and VEP testing were done to retrieve information. Analysis by SPSS version 23 was carried out. In the study, the most common disorders found were optic neuritis, followed by ischemic optic neuropathy, and then glaucoma. VEP revealed statistical abnormalities concerning P100 latency and amplitude in the patients with optic nerve disorders as compared to controls. P100 latency was significantly prolonged with a mean comparison of p<0.001, while the amplitude was reduced with p<0.001 when compared to the controls. VEP is an important diagnostic and prognostic tool in optic nerve diseases. It would tend to provide objective and reproducible data, thus helpful for early detection and management.