Photopic negative response reflects severity of ocular circulatory damage after central retinal artery occlusion.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship of the photopic negative response (PhNR) of the photopic electroretinogram (ERG) with the degree of circulatory disturbances in eyes following central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

METHODS

The circulatory disturbance was graded as mild (group 1) when the arm-to-retina transmission time was <30 s, moderate (group 2) when the time was >30 s and severe (group 3) when concurrent choroidal circulatory damage was found. For statistical analysis, groups 1, 2 and 3 were scored as 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Photopic ERGs were elicited by either short-flash (SF) or long-flash (LF) stimuli.

RESULTS

Both the SF and LF PhNR were significantly reduced in groups 2 and 3. The PhNR amplitude was negatively correlated with the severity of the ocular circulatory disturbances (p = 0.0498, rho = -0.507 for SF PhNR; p = 0.0050, rho = -0.750 for LF PhNR).

CONCLUSION

The amplitude of the PhNR became more reduced as the severity of the circulatory disturbances increased in eyes with CRAO.