Retinal and retinocortical times to pattern stimulation in amblyopic children.

In order to determine whether in amblyopes retinal conduction delays contribute to the cortical measureable delays in the visual evoked cortical potential (VECP), peak latencies of the pattern electroretinogram (ERG) are measured in amblyopic children. The results are compared with those of the normal fellow eyes and those of a healthy control group. Simultaneously the latencies in the VECP are recorded and the determination of the retinocortical times is performed. Statistically retinal b-wave (Q) and a-wave (P) of the pattern ERG of amblyopic eyes do not show significant delays of peak latency. In retincortical times, however, there are significant prolongations. During occlusion therapy retinocortical values of normal fellow eyes are also delayed in comparison with the control group. A pathological conduction delay of visual information on the retinal level up to the generators of the pattern ERG can thus be excluded in amblyopia. The total latency delay in the VECP of amblyopes consists solely in a prolongation of retinocortical times.