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Visual evoked potential evaluation following brain injury in school-aged children
1Department of Ophthalmology, "N. Testemițanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova.
Insights
Visual evoked potentials (VEP) establish reference values in children post-brain injury. VEP testing detects optic pathway damage, enabling early intervention to prevent irreversible vision loss.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Brain injuries can lead to persistent visual symptoms in children.
- Assessing visual pathway integrity is crucial for managing post-traumatic vision deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish reference values for visual evoked potentials (VEP) in school-aged children following brain injury.
- To evaluate the utility of VEP in detecting optic pathway damage in this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pattern-VEP testing in 18 school-aged children with post-brain injury visual symptoms.
- Analyzed wave latencies (N2, P, N3) and amplitudes, alongside topographical distribution of abnormalities.
Main Results:
- Prolonged N2, P, and N3 wave latencies were observed in a significant percentage of patients.
- Decreased P wave amplitude was noted in 16.7%-33.3% of cases.
- Prechiasmatic alterations in optic pathways were predominantly bilateral.
Conclusions:
- VEP is a reliable method for evaluating visual pathway damage after brain injury.
- VEP can detect optic neuropathy before irreversible organic changes occur.
- Early VEP detection may guide timely stimulatory treatment to prevent secondary optic atrophy.
Abstract:
Aim: The research aimed to establish reference values of visual evoked potentials among school-aged children after brain injury. Methods: Eighteen patients with persisting visual symptoms after brain injury have been examined. A pattern-VEP test has been used during the examination. Results: The prolongation of the N2 wave in 55,6%-66,6%, P wave in 55,7%-66,7%, and N3 wave in 16,7%-22,2% was determined in the research group. Likewise, the decrease in the amplitude of the P wave was determined in the case of 16,7%-33,3%. According to the topography, we concluded that the prechiasmatic alteration was predominantly determined as bilateral in the optic pathways, with emphasis equally on the right and left. Conclusions: VEP evaluation remains one of the most credible methods of examination. In the case of moderate or severe traumatic optic neuropathy, it allows the detection of damage to the optic pathways before the appearance of organic changes that are often irreversible. The possibility of early detection of such modifications could justify the initiation of a dosed stimulatory treatment, to avoid damage to the optic pathways that would induce secondary optic atrophy. Abbreviations: VEP = visual evoked potentials, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging.
