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Documenta Ophthalmologica
Published in: Documenta Ophthalmologica 2/2020

01-04-2020 | Night-Blindness | Original Research Article

Verifying complaints of difficulties in night vision using electroretinography and dark adaptation tests

Authors: Gilad Allon, Yolanda Friedrich, Eedy Mezer, Aviran Itzhaki, Rina Leibu, Ido Perlman

Published in: Documenta Ophthalmologica | Issue 2/2020

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the electroretinographical and psychophysical parameters that can help to verify patients’ complaints of reduced night vision.

Methods

We tested 275 consecutive patients with normal appearing fundi, complaining of visual difficulties at night, using flash electroretinography (ERG) and dark adaptation (DA) test. Two ERG parameters were used to assess a scotopic retinal function: the amplitude of the response to dim blue flash (the rod response) and the b-wave ratio (measured/expected). Dark adaptation was measured with green- and red-light stimuli after exposure to a bright, bleaching light. The psychophysical parameter of night vision was defined as the threshold for detection of the blue-green stimulus that was measured after 40–45 min in complete darkness.

Results

Fifty-five patients were excluded from the analysis because of a discrepancy between the two ERG parameters in assessment of scotopic retinal function. The remaining 220 patients were divided into 4 groups: (1) normal ERG and normal DA, (2) subnormal ERG and subnormal DA, (3) normal ERG and subnormal DA and (4) subnormal ERG and normal DA. The ERG and DA tests supported the complaint of visual difficulties at night in 67 patients (group 2), while 34 patients were characterized as having normal scotopic visual function (group 1). The other 119 patients (groups 3 and 4) presented a diagnostic dilemma because one test (ERG or dark adaptation) showed normal scotopic function, while the other indicated subnormal scotopic function.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that ERG is an essential, but not sufficient test for verifying patient’s complaint on visual difficulties in the dark. We suggest using both electroretinography and psychophysical dark adaptation to test patients complaining of reduced night vision.
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Metadata
Title
Verifying complaints of difficulties in night vision using electroretinography and dark adaptation tests
Authors
Gilad Allon
Yolanda Friedrich
Eedy Mezer
Aviran Itzhaki
Rina Leibu
Ido Perlman
Publication date
01-04-2020
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Documenta Ophthalmologica / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 0012-4486
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2622
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-019-09729-z

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