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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Assessing Early Stage Open-Angle Glaucoma in Patients by Isolated-Check Visual Evoked Potential
Published on: May 25, 2020
Steady-state pattern electroretinogram and short-duration transient visual evoked potentials in glaucomatous and
Dilru C Amarasekera1, Arthur F Resende1, Michael Waisbourd1
1Glaucoma Research Center, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Importance:
This study evaluates two rapid electrophysiological glaucoma diagnostic tests that may add a functional perspective to glaucoma diagnosis.
Background:
This study aimed to determine the ability of two office-based electrophysiological diagnostic tests, steady-state pattern electroretinogram and short-duration transient visual evoked potentials, to discern between glaucomatous and healthy eyes.
Design:
This is a cross-sectional study in a hospital setting.
Participants:
Forty-one patients with glaucoma and 41 healthy volunteers participated in the study.
Methods:
Steady-state pattern electroretinogram and short-duration transient visual evoked potential testing was conducted in glaucomatous and healthy eyes. A 64-bar-size stimulus with both a low-contrast and high-contrast setting was used to compare steady-state pattern electroretinogram parameters in both groups. A low-contrast and high-contrast checkerboard stimulus was used to measure short-duration transient visual evoked potential parameters in both groups.
Main Outcome Measures:
Steady-state pattern electroretinogram parameters compared were MagnitudeD, MagnitudeD/Magnitude ratio, and the signal-to-noise ratio. Short-duration transient visual evoked potential parameters compared were amplitude and latency.
Results:
MagnitudeD was significantly lower in glaucoma patients when using a low-contrast (P = 0.001) and high-contrast (P < 0.001) 64-bar-size steady-state pattern electroretinogram stimulus. MagnitudeD/Magnitude ratio and SNR were significantly lower in the glaucoma group when using a high-contrast 64-bar-size stimulus (P < 0.001 and P = 0.010, respectively). Short-duration transient visual evoked potential amplitude and latency were not significantly different between the two groups.
Conclusions And Relevance:
Steady-state pattern electroretinogram was effectively able to discern between glaucomatous and healthy eyes. Steady-state pattern electroretinogram may thus have a role as a clinically useful electrophysiological diagnostic tool.

