Do We Still Need Electrophysiology in Ophthalmology?

Abstract

Electrophysiological methods in clinical ophthalmology include the full-field electroretinogram (ERG) for assessment of outer and middle retinal layers, pattern ERG (PERG) for assessment of ganglion cell function, the electrooculogram (EOG) for assessment of retinal pigment epithelium function, as well as visual evoked potentials (VEP) for assessment of the visual pathway, including the optic nerve and visual cortex. Multifocal recording techniques for ERG and VEP are used for tests within selected areas of the visual field. Technical progress in ocular imaging, especially optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), allows high-resolution imaging of subtle morphological changes of the retina and posterior fundus. Typical retinal diseases may then be diagnosed at an early stage, without conventional electrophysiological investigations (e.g. x-linked retinoschisis, Stargardt disease, vitelliform macular dystrophy). OCT outclasses electrophysiological methods in the quantification of optic atrophies. With newly developed optic techniques, peripheral retinal structures (wide angle optics) and subtle structures up to the photoreceptor level (adaptive optics) can be imaged with increasing quality. However, differentiation of central retinal disorders (e.g. macular dystrophy) from generalised retinal diseases requires electrophysiological diagnostic testing. The same applies to discrimination between different functional disorders in generalised retinal diseases (e.g. enhanced S-cone syndrome, congenital stationary night blindness, achromatopsia).