Electroretinographic oscillatory potentials in diabetic retinopathy. An analysis in the domains of time and frequency.

The oscillatory potentials of the electroretinogram in dark and light adaptation were evaluated by Fourier transform in 87 diabetics and 74 age-matched controls. The study consisted of four groups: normal control, no observable diabetic retinopathy, background diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. A reduction in the amplitude of each oscillatory potential, the summed amplitudes, the area and the total power of the oscillatory potentials as well as delayed implicit time of each oscillatory potential peak in dark and light adaptation could be found in patients with background diabetic retinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The amplitude of oscillatory potential 4 in dark adaptation and the total power of the oscillatory potentials in light adaptation seemed to be affected in patients with no observable diabetic retinopathy. The implicit time of oscillatory potential 2 in dark adaptation was valuable to distinguish between patients with no observable diabetic retinopathy and background diabetic retinopathy.