Comparison of acuity tests and pattern evoked potential criteria: two mechanisms underly acuity maturation in man.

A comparative study of acuity tests and pattern evoked potential (EP) criteria was performed on a total of 307 subjects, 214 of them at an age between 2 months post-term and 12 years. All were examined ophthalmologically prior to testing. It was shown that both psychophysical and EP estimated acuity improve in the same way until puberty. From birth to about 6 months a rapid improvement is found. This fast phase can probably be attributed to retinal morphological maturation. During this period a fair estimate of acuity can be obtained by determining the checksize that yields the largest EP; a conclusion of practical importance for screening. The subsequent slow improvement phase, which ends around puberty, is reflected in the development of the waveform of the pattern onset EP. Since it correlates with the growth of a spatial contrast specific component of extrastriate origin in the EP, the slow improvement phase most likely reflects maturation of central processes.