Fourier-analysed steady-state VEPs in pre-school children with and without normal binocularity

Pre-school children aged 4-5 were examined with steady-state VEP in response to a sinusoidal grating pattern with a spatial frequency of 4 c/deg, reversing at rates 5, 10, and 15 Hz. Normal children (n = 10) were compared with subjects lacking stereo perception (n = 6) and with subjects showing significant unilateral amblyopia with visual acuity in the worse eye <0.5 (n = 7). Fast Fourier Transform was used for analysis of the crude steady-state VEP responses. Compared to normals, the subjects lacking stereo perception showed a significantly lower power of the second harmonic in the response evoked by binocular stimulation with gratings reversed at 15 Hz. The amblyopic group showed a significant difference between the dominant and the non-dominant eye regarding the first harmonic power in the responses evoked by gratings reversed at 5 and 10 Hz. These findings are discussed in relation to the magnocellular and parvocellular visual pathways and suggested models for linear and non-linear processing of visual signals.