Pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in adults: Variability with age

Abstract

Purpose: Pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PRVEP) is an electrophysiological test for evaluating the visual pathway. This study measured the changes in the latencies and amplitudes of the PRVEP with age and gender in normal subjects. Methods: Healthy participants (n=81; 162 total eyes), between the ages of 20 and 92 years were recruited for the study. Stimulation was performed monocularly with a high-contrast (>50%) black-white checkerboard pattern with a check size of 30° at a reversal rate of 2 Hz, a band-pass of 1-100 Hz, a sweep of 250 msec and an average of 150 stimulations in a dark room. Mean and standard deviations for three latencies (N75, P100 and N145) and the amplitude (N75-P100) for each decade were measured. Results: There was a linear trend by age for all three latencies, indicating that the higher age groups had longer latencies. The latencies decreased in the 5th decade before increasing in the higher age groups. The amplitude of N75-P100 decreased with age. The P100 latencies were longer in males than females in all age groups and the difference increased with increasing age. © 2017 CIM.