Average multichannel EEG potential fields evoked from upper and lower hemi-retina: latency differences

What can visual electrophysiology tell about possible visual-field defects in paediatric patients

Recognising a potential visual-field (VF) defect in paediatric patients might be challenging, especially in children before the age of 5 years and those with developmental delay or intellectual disability. Visual electrophysiological testing is an objective and non-invasive technique for evaluation of visual function in paediatric patients, which can characterise the location of dysfunction and differentiate between disorders of the retina, optic nerve and visual pathway. The recording of electroretinography (ERG) and visual-evoked potentials (VEP) is possible from early days of life and requires no subjective input from the patient. As the origins of ERG and VEP tests are known, the pattern of electrophysiological changes can provide information about the VF of a child unable to perform accurate perimetry. This review summarises previously published electrophysiological findings in several common types of VF defects that can be found in paediatric patients (generalised VF defect, peripheral VF loss, central scotoma, bi-temporal hemianopia, altitudinal VF defect, quadrantanopia and homonymous hemianopia). It also shares experience on using electrophysiological testing as additional functional evidence to other tests in the clinical challenge of diagnosing or excluding VF defects in complex paediatric patients. Each type of VF defect is illustrated with one or two clinical cases.

Quantitative electroencephalograms and neuro-optometry: a case study that explores changes in electrophysiology while wearing therapeutic eyeglasses

The brain is equipped with a complex system for processing sensory information, including retinal circuitry comprising part of the central nervous system. Retinal stimulation can influence brain function via customized eyeglasses at both subcortical and cortical levels. We investigated cortical effects from wearing therapeutic eyeglasses, hypothesizing that they can create measureable changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) tracings. A Z-Bell^SM test was performed on a participant to select optimal lenses. An EEG measurement was recorded before and after the participant wore the eyeglasses. Equivalent quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) analyses (statistical analysis on raw EEG recordings) were performed and compared with baseline findings. With glasses on, the participant's readings were found to be closer to the normed database. The original objective of our investigation was met, and additional findings were revealed. The Z-bell^SM test identified lenses to influence neurotypical brain activity, supporting the paradigm that eyeglasses can be utilized as a therapeutic intervention. Also, EEG analysis demonstrated that encephalographic techniques can be used to identify channels through which neuro-optomertric treatments work. This case study's preliminary exploration illustrates the potential role of QEEG analysis and EEG-derived brain imaging in neuro-optometric research endeavors to affect brain function.

Visual field asymmetries in visual evoked responses

Behavioral responses to visual stimuli exhibit visual field asymmetries, but cortical folding and the close proximity of visual cortical areas make electrophysiological comparisons between different stimulus locations problematic. Retinotopy-constrained source estimation (RCSE) uses distributed dipole models simultaneously constrained by multiple stimulus locations to provide separation between individual visual areas that is not possible with conventional source estimation methods. Magnetoencephalography and RCSE were used to estimate time courses of activity in V1, V2, V3, and V3A. Responses to left and right hemifield stimuli were not significantly different. Peak latencies for peripheral stimuli were significantly shorter than those for perifoveal stimuli in V1, V2, and V3A, likely related to the greater proportion of magnocellular input to V1 in the periphery. Consistent with previous results, sensor magnitudes for lower field stimuli were about twice as large as for upper field, which is only partially explained by the proximity to sensors for lower field cortical sources in V1, V2, and V3. V3A exhibited both latency and amplitude differences for upper and lower field responses. There were no differences for V3, consistent with previous suggestions that dorsal and ventral V3 are two halves of a single visual area, rather than distinct areas V3 and VP.

Human brain response to visual stimulus between lower/upper visual fields and cerebral hemispheres

We studied the human brain response to visual stimulation in which a square area was randomly presented in upper and lower visual fields (VFs). Seven normal volunteers carried out a contrast-based visual search task. Magnetic responses were detected in the bilateral parietal regions at 200-250 ms after stimulus onset. We compared the response latencies and strengths of the essential single sensor and root mean square (RMS) of the regions. The former evaluates the strength of neural activity with relatively high spatial resolution, while the latter evaluates the global neural activity. The single sensor and RMS latencies for the lower left VF were significantly longer than that for the upper left (paired t-test, P<0.05). The strengths did not differ between the upper and lower left VFs. There was no significant difference in latency or strength between the upper right and lower right VFs. These findings suggest that only left VF has different response properties in the upper versus lower VF, and that both local and global extrastriate activities are responsible for this anisotropy.

Effect of stimulus localisation on motion-onset VEP

Reliable motion-onset visual evoked potentials (result of the dorsal stream activation) were recorded to motion stimuli with the temporal frequency of five cycles per seconds in 20 different locations with eccentricity up to 42 degrees to periphery of the visual field. Amplitudes and latencies of the positive-negative-positive (P1-N1-P2; 84-144-208 ms) complex were evaluated in occipital (OZ and two derivations 5 cm to the left and right from OZ) and central region (CZ) in 10 subjects. We observed: (1) Shortening of the N1 latency toward periphery of the visual field. (2) The N1 amplitude maximum and latency minimum moved from occipital into central region (CZ derivation) as stimulus moved from centre toward periphery of visual field. (3) The P1 and N1 peaks displayed significantly greater amplitudes and shorter latencies when the lower part of the visual field was stimulated. (4) The N1 peak changed lateralisation of its maximum amplitude in dependence on the eccentricity. Up to 17 degrees, it corresponds to striate projection of the "optic radiation" whilst more in periphery, there was paradoxical lateralisation of higher amplitude and shorter latency. The retinotopic dependence shows that the motion response includes position information and that the motion-onset VEPs are not generated solely in the higher extrastriate areas (MT or MST).

Phase-locked oscillatory approximately 15- to 30-Hz response to transient visual contrast stimulation: neuromagnetic evidence for cortical origin in humans

We present neuromagnetic evidence that the human oscillatory (-15-30 Hz; "gamma band") mass response to transient visual (contrast) stimulation originates from cortical areas also generating the conventional pattern-evoked response (VERs). The oscillatory response has shorter latency from stimulus and earlier temporal evolution than the VERs, with different orientation of the source currents. These results suggest the activation of (partly) distinct generating neuronal assemblies with contributions to the development of the VER response. A functional role in stimulus-related cortical synchronization during early visual processing is further suggested and appears consistent with the results of single-unit/multiunit animal research.

Dynamic topography of pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) in psychogenic visual loss patients

We investigated to measure the objective visual acuity using pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) to help the diagnosis with psychogenic visual loss (PVL) who ranged in age from 7 to 14 years old. Pattern stimuli consisted of black and white checkerboard patterns (39, 26, 15 and 9') with a visual angle of 8 degrees and a contrast level of 15%. The pattern reversal frequency was 0.7 Hz. This resulted in an average of 100 PVEP per session. Visual acuity of 0.1 was consistent with the 39' pattern, 0.2 with the 26' pattern, 0.5 with the 15' pattern, and 1.0 with the 9' pattern. As the results, five PVL patients could measure visual acuity with this method in the present study. The PVEP is useful in evaluating the visual acuity and helped to diagnose the PVL patients. In addition we used the dynamic topography to study the difference in the results of the PVEP. The dynamic topography obtained from the results of the PVEP was analyzed. The flow type of the P100 component diverged into three types (separated type, hollow type and localized type) in the PVL patients and the normal children. The localized type was observed in 59.1% of normal children and in 56.3% of PVL patients. While the separated type was shown in 6.8% of normal children and in 8.3% of PVL patients. There were not significant differences between the PVL patients and the normal children in each type.

Vertical neglect: behavioral and electrophysiological data

Both behavioral and electrophysiological methods were used to assess altitudinal neglect. In the first experiment, 100 patients with neglect completed Albert's Barrage test. Most omissions were present in the lower left quadrant. In 16 patients, visual evoked potentials to stimuli in the four quadrants were separately recorded (Exp. 2). Latencies in the lower left quadrant were longer than those in the other quadrants. A third experiment provided electrophysiological normative data from 13 young normal subjects. Overall, the results showed that both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of space are affected in neglect patients.

Scalp-recorded oscillatory potentials evoked by transient pattern-reversal visual stimulation in man

Replicable oscillatory potentials, time-locked to pattern stimuli (9.0 degrees central; counterphase reversal at 2.13 Hz) were dissociated from conventional, broad-band VEPs recorded in healthy volunteers at occipital scalp locations by high-pass digital filtering at 17.0-20.0 Hz. Nine consecutive wavelets were identified with a 56.4 +/- 8.4 msec mean latency of the first replicable wavelet and mean peak-to-peak amplitude varying between 0.9 and 2.0 muV. The first 2 wavelets had significantly shorter latencies than wave N70 of unfiltered VEP, whereas the last 2 wavelets had longer latencies than N145. Latency and amplitude values varied as a function of contrast and spatial frequency of the stimulus, with shorter latencies and larger amplitudes at 60-90% contrast level and tuning of amplitude at 5.0 c/deg. All wavelets were correlated with wave P100 of unfiltered VEP, while a correlation with N70 of VEP was observed only for those wavelets with latencies in the range of wave P100. Two patients with documented brain lesions involving the visual system are described as examples of oscillatory responses occurring irrespective of filter bandpass and instead of the expected conventional VEP when the generation of these is interfered with by brain pathology. A substantial cortical contribution to the origin of the oscillatory response is conceivable. It is suggested that the oscillatory response to pattern-reversal stimulation reflects events in the visual system that are parallel to, and partly independent of, the conventional VEP, with potential application in research or for clinical purposes.

The extrastriate generators of the EP to checkerboard onset. A source localization approach

The cortical origin of the pattern onset EP has been investigated over a time window which covers the entire positive-negative-positive complex of the pattern onset EP. On the basis of a dipole source localization approach, the position, orientation and strength of the underlying sources of the pattern onset EP were estimated. For large check stimuli, chosen to have a weak edge specific component in the response, still two components are needed to account for the variance of the responses. Each component corresponds to a single dipole source, and both originate in the extrastriate cortex. These components dominate, respectively, the initial and the late positive peaks of the pattern onset EP. The equivalent dipole sources of the two components show different behaviors with respect to the position of the stimulus in the visual field. The topography and behavior of the equivalent dipole source underlying the early positive component suggest an origin in area 18. The invariance with stimulus location of the dipole source underlying the late positive component suggests an origin beyond area 18. The different topographies of the components also account for the differences in surface distribution of the pattern onset EP to large check stimulation of the upper and lower sectors of the visual field.

Event-related potential components N1, P2 and P3 to rare and frequent stimuli in intellectually impaired neurological patients

Event-related potentials (ERPs) and attention performance data were collected in an auditory odd-ball paradigm from 24 intellectually impaired neurological patients, and compared with normal controls (n = 19). For the ERP components N1, P2 and P3, reference-independent measures (latency, global field power, current density at Cz, location of extreme potential, centroid location) were determined for the target stimulus and for the preceding and the following two "frequent" stimuli. In 8 of the 45 measures obtained, patients and controls differed significantly. To target stimuli, patients had shorter N1 latency and smaller current density, more posterior P2 location and longer P3 latency; to immediately following "frequent" stimuli, longer P2 latency; and to preceding and both following "frequent" stimuli, smaller P2 current density. Attention performance was significantly worse for the 15 patients who scored on at least one of the eight ERP measures above normal range than for the other 9 patients. Decreased N1 latency to targets is viewed as failure to activate normal attentional capacity; changed P2 location suggests activation of deviant neuronal populations in response to targets; and increased post-target P2 latency suggests abnormal persistence of induced state change.

N1 and P2 of frequent and rare event-related potentials show effects and after-effects of the attended target in the oddball-paradigm

The effects of serial order of the stimuli on event-related potentials (ERPs) in an auditory oddball paradigm with 700 ms ISI were studied in 19 normals, recording from Fz, Cz, Pz and combined ears. N1 and P2 to the last preceding frequent stimulus, the rare (attended target) stimulus, and the following two frequent stimuli were evaluated using 6 reference-independent measures: latency (time of maximal potential range between any two locations), amplitude of maximal potential range, global field power, vertex (Cz) current source density, location of extreme potential, and location of potential centroid. Exploratory statistics were used to determine differences of interest. Eighteen of the 36 comparisons for N1, and 4 of the 36 comparisons for P2 showed double-ended P-values of less than 5%, 6 times the overall incidence expected by chance. For the ERP evoked 1400-ms post-target, global field power and location of N1, and latency and location of P2 still differed from pre-target ERP values. This suggests a new and temporarily persisting change of brain state following the target stimulus. The first 3 measures showed 'undershoot' below pre-target levels, contradicting a simple 're-habituation' model. All 6 measures of N1, as well as latency and location of P2 increased or anteriorized for the attended target; the location changes indicate that processing the attended target activates additional neural processes, and does not only increase the activation of the same neural processes which operate on frequent stimuli.

Past, present and future of topographic mapping

Traditional EEG and EP analysis is trace-oriented. When mapping became popular, results of waveform analysis were mapped. Increased exposure to brain field maps has begun to orient analysis to the spatial aspects. Different maps must be generated by different neuronal populations; this offers direct key to the analysis of higher brain function. Space-oriented data reduction selects maps with optimal signal/noise ratio using Global Dissimilarity index. Classification and statistics of map landscapes uses extracted descriptors (locations of extrema or centroids) or three-dimensional dipole models. Map classification leads to adaptive segmentation of evoked or spontaneous map series into functional micro-states, the putative building blocks of perception and cognition.

Time range analysis of evoked potential fields

Potentials evoked by contrast reversing grating stimuli of different spatial frequency and orientation were recorded in 16 channels from twelve healthy adults. The amount of electrical brain activity was quantified independent of the reference electrode by the computation of global field power (GFP). Maxima of the GFP function over times, determined component latencies which turned out to be influenced by spatial frequency and orientation. Both effects were statistically significant. Analysis of GFP at component latencies demonstrated the significant influence of spatial frequency on the amount of activity in the potential fields, whereas different stimulus orientations yielded brain activity of similar strength. Component location on the scalp determined at P100 latency showed no systematic variation with spatial frequency or orientation of the grating pattern. A reference-free topographic segmentation procedure based on the statistical recognition of stable potential field configurations disregarding amplitude characteristics, was used for all subjects and stimulus conditions. Segments were identified over the whole recording epoch and were interpreted as time epochs with identical potential field configurations, that were compatible with identical neuronal generators. The sequence of such segments was further analysed and compared statistically between subjects and stimulus conditions. The results showed topographical differences that were not observed when only selected time points at component latency were considered.

Blindness from self-inflicted gunshot wounds

Four patients who attempted suicide by using handguns survived bilateral optic nerve destruction with limited additional neurological damage.

Interindividual variation and additivity of the visual evoked potentials to the local checkerboard stimulation of the central and paracentral retina

Visually evoked cortical potentials to reversing checkerboard stimulation were recorded from normal subjects. Different locations of the central visual field of maximally 8 degrees radius were stimulated. Stimulation of various parts of the central visual field changed the waveform and the amplitude of the responses of different subjects very individually. This makes it impossible to make a universal decision, how large field or which part of the central field contributes most to pattern evoked cortical potentials. The responses to the upper half field stimulation showed greatest variation making the VEP recording worthless in detecting altitudinal visual field defects. The computed sum of the half field responses was of similar waveform and amplitude to the response to the full field stimulation. The good additivity of the responses applied to all parts of the central visual field tested.

Electrophysiological and pathological studies on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with retinal involvement

In a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a 59-year-old female, multifocal degeneration from the cerebral cortex through the visual pathway to the retina was detected clinically, electrophysiologically, and pathologically. Visual evoked cortical potentials (VECPs) showed a peculiar huge negative wave in the early stage but the amplitude reduced gradually. The a- and b-waves of the ERG were detectable in the final stage. Dynamic topography of VECPs revealed a delay of excitation in the visual cortex in the early stage, but a complete defect of the cortical potential and diminished reactivity of the brain stem were apparent in the later stage. Pathological findings were the spongy degeneration of the cerebral cortex, demyelination of the white matter and the optic pathway, and the degeneration of the nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer of the retina.

Event-related potentials of the brain and cognitive processes: approaches and applications

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are recordings of the electric field which the brain produces in fixed time-relation to an event. ERPs open a time and space window onto covert steps of brain information processing which need not be accompanied by overt behavior or private experiences. ERPs are the only noninvasive method which resolves the dynamic pattern of events in the human brain down to the millisecond range. Early ERP components are valuable tools in clinical testing of the afferent sensory systems in the absence of anamnestic or clinical pathology. Later components (e.g. the 'P300') index intermediate, covert steps of information processing and have clarified the time course and the contingencies of processes in attention, decisions and language. ERP waveshapes show electric potential differences between two recording points. Conventional analysis often ignores the fact that there is no unique voltage amplitude or signal latency for a single point, and interprets ambiguous results. Although important insights have emerged with such strategies, full utilization of ERP data requires unambiguous ERP assessment and converging evidence from neuropsychological and cognitive experimentation. Sequences of field distribution maps offer an unbiased display of ERP data. Spatial analysis yields unambiguous values for further comprehensive assessment, and should precede analysis over time. Examples of spatial analysis have shown that different ERP field configurations follow the presentation of noun and verb meaning of homophone words; that the ERP effects to subjective contours resemble those to attention in time course and topography; that the 'cognitive' P300 component reflects the specific stimulus location; and that subliminal information influences the configuration of late ERP fields.

Topographic visually evoked potentials induced by stereoptic stimulus

Topographic processes of brain activity during stereopsis were investigated by means of two different principles, with a real stereo target and a computer stereogram. Use of either principle produced the same tendency: an electrically negative focus started from the central region of the scalp and moved to the parietal and occipital regions. These flows of excitation were seen during a period of 90 to 170 ms. The difference between these two stimulus represented a return of the negative focus from the occipital pole to the parietal region in the real stereo target and a spread of the negative focus to the temporal region in the computer stereogram. Since monocular viewing of a real stereo target produces a similar visually evoked potentials wave form but with less intensity, the negative focus in binocular viewing may be due to the enhancement of binocular cells and disparity sensitive neurons in a wide area of the brain cortex. Thus stereoptic brain responses start from the central and parietal regions and move to the occipital region, making a flow of excitation.

Localization of visually evoked cortical activity in humans

The locations of cortical activity evoked by visual stimuli presented at different positions in the visual field are deduced from the scalp topography of visually evoked potentials in humans. To accomplish this, the Laplacian evoked potential is measured using a multi-electrode array. It is shown that the Laplacian response has the following useful attributes for this purpose. It is reference-free. Its spatial resolution is approximately 2 cm referred to the surface of the cortex. Its spatial sensitivity characteristic is that of a spatial band-pass filter. It is relatively insensitive to source--sink configurations that are oriented tangentially to the surface of the scalp. Only modest assumptions about the source--sink configuration are required to obtain a unique inversion of the scalp topography. Stimuli consisting of checkerboard-filled octant or annular octant segments are presented as appearance-disappearance pulses at sixteen different positions in the visual field in randomized order. The locations of evoked cortical activity in the occipital, parietal and temporal lobes are represented on a Mercator projection map for each octant or octant segment stimulated. Lower hemifield stimuli activate cortex which lies mainly on the convexity of the occipital lobe contralateral to the side of stimulus presentation in the visual field. The more peripheral the stimulus is in the visual field, the more rostral is the location of the active cortex. The rostral-to-caudal location of the evoked activity varies from subject to subject by as much as 3 cm on the surface of the occipital cortex. Furthermore, in any single subject there is a substantial amount of hemispheric asymmetry. Upper hemifield stimuli activate cortex that lies on the extreme caudal pole of the occipital lobe. This activity is relatively weak, and in some subjects it is almost unmeasurable. It is suggested that the representation of the upper hemifield in the cortex lies mostly on the inferior and mesial walls of the occipital lobe and possibly within the calcarine fissures. Those locations are inaccessible to the Laplacian analysis because the current generators therein may be oriented tangentially to the surface of the overlying scalp. Posterior parietal lobe activity and/or inferior temporal lobe activity is frequently evoked. Different subjects have different patterns of evoked activity. Unilateral or bilateral posterior parietal lobe activity is the most common pattern. Unilateral inferior temporal lobe activity is a less common pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Distribution of pattern-evoked potentials in the facial area

We studied the spatial distribution of the pattern-evoked potentials on the face with a simultaneous 16-channel recording system. The results showed that the responses had their first positive component at the peak latency of 52.0 +/- 1.9 (S.E.) msec. The maximum potential value within the equipotential maps was in the region around the stimulated eye in eight normal subjects. One patient with one enucleated eye showed the maximum value within the map only around the fellow eye; much later, at a peak latency of approximately 100 msec, we obtained a response with a maximum on the scalp around the inion. In another patient with long-standing optic nerve disease, the pattern-evoked potentials were absent but the flash-evoked potentials were normal, showing the maximum value in the region near the stimulated eye.

Measurements of eccentricity of fixation in normals and in amblyopes by evoked potentials

A method to estimate the eccentricity of fixation, i.e. the position of the center of the fovea relative to the point of fixation, based on visually evoked potentials is described and applied to 14 normal and 17 amblyopic subjects. Eye position was simultaneously recorded. In normal subjects, the estimates of fixational eccentricity distributed unimodally with mean 12.1' and range 1-36'. The estimates from the nonamblyopic eyes of amblyopic subjects distributed bimodally with peaks near 5 and 55' and those amblyopic subjects with larger estimates were anisometropic. The results suggest that the anisometropic amblyopes have an asymmetry of retinocortical projections. When corrected for the fixational eccentricity of the nonamblyopic eye. 5 of 17 amblyopic eyes had fixational eccentricity greater than 40'. Since only 1 of these amblyopic eyes was found to fixate eccentrically by conventional clinical testing, it is suggested that eccentric fixation may be more common in amblyopia than has heretofore been appreciated.

Average responses evoked by moving grating pattern in the upper, central and lower visual field

Detectable visual evoked potentials were obtained in man by stimulation in the peripheral visual field with a 0.4 cycle/deg vertical grating pattern of 5 degrees arc subtense which moved twice per second horizontally at 415 degrees/sec through an amplitude of 8 degrees arc. These moving grating stimuli were presented to 10 normal subjects, centered 15 degrees above, or centered around, or centered 15 degrees below a fixation mark. The mean latencies (+/- S.D.) of the positive component of the potential evoked by stimuli to the central and 15 degrees eccentricity lower visual field were 114 +/- 17 msec and 104 +/- 20 msec, respectively, while latencies for 15 degrees eccentricity upper visual field stimuli were significantly (p less than 0.001) later with 148 +/- 20 msec.

Pattern-sensitive epilepsy. II: Effects of pattern orientation and hemifield stimulation

The majority of pattern-sensitive epileptics described in the literature have responded mainly to veritical or near-vertical gratings. In this study, orientation selectivity was reexamined in two patients and the effects of hemifield stimulation are also reported. Prior studies of our subjects by Chatrian et al. (1970) revealed that Case 1 was sensitive to all orientations and that Case 2 was responsive to vertical or near-vertical gratings only. Upon reexamination, Case 1 was distinctly less sensitive to oblique orientations and Case 2 was slightly responsive to horizontal gratings. At the time of testing, Case 1 was clinically improved and Case 2 was acutely worse compared to their conditions during the 1970 studies. With low-contrast gratings, Case 1 responded only to vertical orientations. However, when presented with a checkerboard pattern, he responded only when the edges were diagonal and not when they were vertical and horizontal. Upper hemifield gratings were epileptogenic, whereas lower hemifield presentations were almost ineffective. Lateral hemifield presentation produced discharges mainly in the contralateral hemisphere. The results suggest that orientation selectivity is not a fixed property of the pattern-sensitive condition. Instead, it is apparently influenced by clinical status and pattern properties. The checkerboard results suggest that the epileptogenic feature of the pattern is its Fourier fundamental component rather than individual lines and edges. The hemifield results may indicate a functional difference between the upper and lower visual fields.

Beyond averaging. II. Single-trial classification of exogenous event-related potentials using stepwise discriminant analysis

Using stepwise discriminant analysis (SWDA), single-trial event-related potentials (ERPs) were classified as to whether they were elicited by a checkerboard presented to the upper or lower visual half-field. Discriminant functions were computed on the basis of 'training sets' constructed of upper and lower half-field ERPs, and applied to 'test sets' of other ERPs elicited by the same stimuli. Individual-subject discriminant functions for data recorded at PZ classified the single ERPs in the test sets with a mean accuracy of 83.7% correct. The mean accuracy attained by individual-subject functions from the most discriminable scalp site for each subject was 87.8% correct, and that attained by an across-subjects function was 78.1% correct. Averaged ERPs showed the previously reported polarity reversal of corresponding exogenous components in the upper and lower half field wave forms. Moreover, the SWDA procedure chose ERP time points at the latencies of these exogenous components for discriminating the half-field ERPs. The results demonstrate that SWDA can accurately classify single ERPs in which the systematic variance is localized in exogenous components, having periods within the range of frequencies which typically compose the background EEG.

Foveal versus peripheral retinal responses: a new analysis for early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

Visual potentials evoked by brief flashes (VEPs) were recorded in 85 patients with MS, 30 healthy controls and 25 neurological patients without demyelinating diseases. In a group of 44 patients, diffuse field stimulation was used, resutling in 15 altered responses (34%). In a second group of 41 patients with superimposable characteristics including age, sex, diagnosis of MS (definite, probable and possible) and score on the Rose's scale, the separate responses of central and peripheral retina were analysed. A total of 30 abnormal VEPs were recognized (73%) with the following distribution: 16 foveal VEPs (78%), 4 peripheral responses (13%) and 26 centreperiphery latency differences (CPLD, 60%). Twenty subjects of Group A with normal or slightly altered full field VEPs were retested with both stimulating methods with the following result: 3 altered full field VEPs (15%) and 15 abnormal CPLD (75%). With diffuse field stimulation, the correlation between the VEP scores and the results of other examinations (visual, pyramidal, etc.) were insignficant; on the contrary, the CPLD was clearly correlated with the involvement of the visual and other systems in the fluctuating clinical course of MS.

Modifications of the pattern-evoked potential (PEP) in relation to the stimulated part of the visual field (clues for the most probable origin of each component)

A spatio-temporal analysis of the successive and simultaneous components of the pattern-evoked potential recorded on the scalp, and of their modifications according to which part of the visual field is stimulated, was carried out with 20 'normal' subjects, in order to shed some light on their most probable sites of origin. The stimulus consisted in the onset of a 20 degree checkerboard presented in runs of 75 stimuli each. Its duration was 750 msec and its frequency of occurrence was random (about 1 every 1500 msec). Twelve different visual field situations were recorded: whole field, half fields and quadrants and stimuli limited to the fovea, to the macula and to extramacular areas. Data were collected from 9 active electrodes (in line, forming a cross montage), and various reference electrodes (ear lobes, Fz, non-cephalic). Eye movements were simultaneously recorded. The electrophysiological data were digitized on line and processed by computer in the form of averaged spatio-temporal maps. In addition to the classical posterior components which peak on the midline (N 60, N 140, and P 200) or less than 4 cm away on both sides (P 90), a late negative wave (LN 210) was differentiated which peaked lower than the inion and more than 8 cm away from the midline on both hemispheres. The large inter-individual variability of the spatio-temporal organization of these components under the same conditions, as well as its very good intra-individual reproducibility, were emphasized. Interpreted on the basis of a simple dipole sheet model of the visual cortex, the changes observed for each component in the 12 experimental situations led to the following suggestions: only the first component N 60 could reflect the activity of the part of area 17 emerging on the convexity, whereas P 90 (Jeffreys' CI) is more likely to originate in area 19 and the midline components N 140 and P 200 in area 18. The topography and reactivity of LN 210 could fit with the hypothesis that it reflects activity of the infero-temporal cortex.

The polarity inversion of scalp potentials evoked by upper and lower half-field stimulus patterns: latency or surface distribution differences?

Evoked potentials to patterned stimulation of the upper and lower half of the visual field are generally inverted in polarity. Two conflicting proposals have been made to explain this effect, both based on surface distribution studies of pattern-reversal and/or pattern-onset VEPs. The first suggests that this polarity inversion is due to differences in surface distribution of corresponding components of constant latency; the second that it is due to differences in the latencies of peaks of similar surface distributions in the upper and lower half-field responses. Experimental evidence is here presented which supports the first explanation for the case of the pattern-onset VEPs. These results, which illustrate how different components in the same response can be identified from the selective adaptation effects of pre-exposure to outline patterns, show that there is no difference in latency of components of corresponding properties in the upper and lower half-field VEPs.