title: Maturation of electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials in preterm infants.
abstract: Electroretinograms (ERGs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to flash stimulation were recorded from 51 infants (gestational age 26 to 42 weeks; post-conceptional age (PCA) 31 to 47 weeks) to give cross-sectional data on the maturation of these responses. Sequential recordings were taken from a separate group of 24 preterm infants (gestational age 28 to 33 weeks) to give longitudinal data. There was a significant decrease in ERG a-wave latency and increase in a-b amplitude with increasing PCA in both groups. For the VEPs there was a significant decrease in latency of the early negative component (N1) and the major positive component (P2). Comparison between recordings made on preterm infants with those from term infants at an equivalent PCA suggested faster maturation of VEPs in the extra-uterine environment, but no difference in maturation of the ERG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Gloucester Royal Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Leaf
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esack
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Costeloe
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Prior
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004596:Electroretinography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*