Effect of light scatter on the pattern reversal visual evoked response: comparison with psychophysical results

The effect of light scatter on the pattern reversal visual evoked response (PVER) was studied in 6 normal subjects. The results were compared with contrast visual acuity, contrast sensitivity function, and glare disability. Light scatter was induced by translucent acrylic sheets. Visual acuity measured with the low-contrast charts decreased significantly (P < 0.0001) even with a small degree of light scatter. Contrast sensitivity decreased with a small degree of light scatter especially for high spatial frequencies. PVER amplitudes decreased especially at the smaller checks with its peak shifted to larger checks. PVER was equally sensitive to light scatter compared to psychophysical tests.