Spatio-temporal processing in multiple sclerosis.

The processing of spatial and temporal detail was investigated in patients with multiple sclerosis. Normal observers and 13 patients with optic neuritis secondary to multiple sclerosis performed a battery of visual tests that included contrast sensitivity, temporal integration, evoked potentials, and visual masking. The multiple sclerosis patients exhibited losses of pattern processing, and these deficits became more noticeable when the patterns were presented briefly. Moreover, these patients exhibited diverse response patterns for the different visual tests. For some, temporal integration functions appeared severely attenuated, while evoked potential latency was within normal limits. Others displayed poor performance in the visual masking test, yet contrast sensitivity functions were comparable to those of the control group. We suggest that a battery of tests that incorporates spatial as well as temporal stimuli is necessary for the detection of visual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.