title: Near-infrared spectroscopy of the visual cortex in unilateral optic neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the occipital-lobe activation of patients with optic neuritis using near-infrared spectroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  NIRS was performed on five patients with acute unilateral optic neuritis during monocular visual stimulation. As controls, six normal subjects were also tested in the same manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the patients with optic neuritis, the changes in the hemoglobin concentrations (oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin) in the occipital lobe were found to be markedly reduced when the clinically affected eyes were stimulated compared with the fellow eyes. The response induced by the stimulation of the affected eye was decreased, even when the patient's visual acuity improved to 20/20 in the recovery phase. There was no difference in the concentration changes between the two eyes in the control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NIRS may be useful in detecting visual dysfunction objectively and noninvasively in patients with visual disturbance, especially when used at the bedside.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Niigata University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. amiki@tc5.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Mineo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Chia-Shang J
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Grant T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; C100003:deoxyhemoglobin