[The origin of the electroretinogram induced by structured stimuli in man]

The Authors studied the checkerboard pattern electroretinogram (PERG) behaviour in normal subjects and in patients suffering from traumatic lesion of optic nerve, demyelinating optic neuritis, axonal optic neuritis, retinal vascular disorders and retinitis pigmentosa in order to verify the PERG origin. According to our data the PERG appears to originate from ganglion cells since the signal diminished or disappeared in axonal lesion of optic nerve, as a result of retrograde ganglion cell degeneration. Furthermore, the demyelinating lesions of optic nerve were not able to modify the PERG wave. In patients suffering from retinal receptor disturbances the flash electroretinogram (FERG), which is probably an expression of receptor activity, was greatly impaired, whereas PERGs were either normal or less impaired than FERGs. These data demonstrate the different origin of PERG and FERG.