Visual Evoked Potentials and Glaucoma

Visual evoked potentials (VEP) can be used to assess the function of the visual system objectively. Research on VEP testing as a method of glaucoma evaluation has been performed for many years. Pattern VEP has shown good specificity and sensitivity in the detection of glaucoma in some studies, but other studies have not shown similar efficacy. Multifocal VEP can produce a topographical measure of glaucomatous damage and has been shown to be able to detect a similar number of defects in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension as compared with the visual field test. Despite promising data on these VEP test modalities in the assessment of glaucoma, multiple aspects of test administration make their routine use impractical in a clinical setting. New VEP testing modalities, such as short-duration transient VEP and isolated-check VEP, allow the test to be performed more quickly and easily. Further research on these more recent technologies may allow us to use VEP effectively in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma.