title: Standardization of the Tübingen flicker test.
abstract: In the Tübingen flicker test, the subjective brightness of a steady field is adjusted to that of a flickering test field at 50-0 Hz. This test has proven itself as a valuable and highly specific method in the diagnosis of optic neuritis (ON). This paper reports on the development of new judgement criteria and their standardization, based on a new cohort of 527 eyes, 138 of them with florid ON. After improving the conditions of examination and evaluation the optimal criteria for the definition of a pathological result were determined in an explorative manner that is described in detail. The criteria finally chosen are defined such that they preserve the high specificity (98%) of the test, while also retaining a high sensitivity (85.5%).
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Pathophysiologie des Sehens und Neuroophthalmologie, Augenklinik der Universität, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trauzettel-Klosinski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schüpbach
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aulhorn
mesh_terms: D005425:Flicker Fusion; D006801:Humans; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000592:standards*