Visual evoked potential abnormalities in patients with COVID-19

It has been suggested that diseases that may cause visual evoked potential abnormality, such as optic neuritis, may be associated with the coronavirus disease 2019. This study aimed to find out whether there are visual evoked potential abnormalities in coronavirus disease 2019 patients using pattern reversal visual evoked potential and flash visual evoked potential.

Patients with a history of coronavirus disease 2019 (coronavirus disease 2019 patients) and controls were included in this prospective case-control study. This study was conducted in the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory of Adana City Training and Research Hospital. Individuals without visual impairment were included. Coronavirus disease 2019 patients were required to have clinical features consistent with previous acute infection and a positive nose swab polymerase chain reaction test. Visual evoked potential was applied to coronavirus disease 2019 patients between July 2020 and July 2021. Controls consisted of patients without a history of chronic disease who underwent a visual evoked potential study between June 2017 and June 2018 due to headache or dizziness. Pattern reversal visual evoked potential and flash visual evoked potential were applied to all participants. N75, P100, and N135 waves obtained from pattern reversal visual evoked potential and P1, N1, P2, N2, P3, and N3 waves obtained from flash visual evoked potential were analyzed.

A total of 44 coronavirus disease 2019 patients and 40 controls were included in the study. Age and gender were not different between the two groups. Pattern reversal visual evoked potential parameters were not different between the two groups. Right P2 latency was 114.4±21.1 and 105.5±14.7 ms in coronavirus disease 2019 patients and controls, respectively (p=0.031). Patients with P100 and P2 wave abnormalities were 6 (13.6%) and 13 (29.6%), respectively.

This study showed that there may be visual evoked potential abnormalities in coronavirus disease 2019 patients.