Visually evoked potentials in respiratory chain disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about the frequency of abnormal visually evoked potentials (VEPs) in patients with respiratory chain disorders (RCDs). We thus wanted to investigate the frequency of abnormal VEPs in RCDs, how often VEPs are abnormal despite normal visual acuity, and which of the VEP variables are most often abnormal.


METHODS
Reversal checkerboard VEPs of 26 patients with RCDs, aged 32-74 years, were evaluated.


RESULTS
VEPs were abnormal in 17 of the 26 cases (65%). The P100 latency was prolonged at least unilaterally in 16 patients. The P100/N145 amplitude was decreased in a single patient. VEPs were abnormal without visual impairment in 9 cases (53%).


CONCLUSIONS
VEPs prove useful to detect clinical or subclinical impairment of the optical tract in patients with RCDs. In the majority of the cases, the P100 latencies are prolonged while the P100/N145 amplitude remains normal.
Finsterer
J
J
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research in Epilepsy and Neuromuscular Disorders, Vienna, Austria.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004579:Electron Transport; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017240:Mitochondrial Myopathies / Q000150:complications*; D012016:Reference Values