title: MRI of optic nerve and postchiasmal visual pathways and visual evoked potentials in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
abstract: We studied the relationship between abnormalities shown by MRI and functional disturbances in the visual pathway as assessed by the visual evoked potential (VEP) in 25 patients with established multiple sclerosis (MS); only 4 of whom had a history of acute optic neuritis. Optic nerve MRI was abnormal in 19 (76%) and is thus useful in detecting subclinical disease. Optic nerve total lesion length and area on the STIR sequence was found to correlate significantly with prolongation of the VEP latency. This may reflect a predominantly demyelinating rather than inflammatory origin for the signal change in the optic nerve.
authors.affiliation: School of Postgraduate Medicine, Keele University, Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, North Staffordshire Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, England.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haq
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hawkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000209:etiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*