Application of visual evoked potentials for preoperative estimation of visual function in eyes with dense cataract.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the temporal frequency characteristics of the visual system as determined by visually evoked potentials (VEP) can be used for a preoperative estimation of the visual function in eyes with cataracts.

METHODS

Light stimuli driven by a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) of 40950 ms duration were presented and EEG recordings were made from 13 control and 20 patients with cataracts preoperatively and 1 week after cataract operation. The first kernel of the PRBS-VEP was obtained as the first-order cross-correlation function between PRBS and PRBS-VEP. The Fourier transform of this function was used as the temporal frequency characteristic (TFC).

RESULTS

The mean +/- standard deviation of the latency and amplitude of the VEP in normal controls were 110.8+/-4.3 ms and 2.01+/-0.67 microV, respectively. A high correlation (r>0.7) between the pre-and postoperative VEP waveform was obtained in 13 eyes (65%), and 14 eyes (70%) in the VEP-TFC curves. The sensitivity of the examination was 73%, 27%, and 91% for the latency, amplitude and TFC of the VEP, respectively. The specificity of the examination was 67%, 100%, and 89% for the same measures. Eleven of 12 eyes with abnormal TFC preoperatively showed retinal or optic nerve lesions postoperatively. False-negative results were seen in cases with delayed corneal edema.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative visual function of patients with cataracts can be predicted by preoperative measurement of the TFC obtained by PRBS-VEP.