Electrophyisology of vision in children

Aiming at acquiring new knowledge on maturation and dysfunction of different structures of the visual system we intend to investigate the retinal, the visual pathway and the visual cortical function in children with electrophysiological methods. In the proposed study on electrophysiological recording techniques in children we shall investigate the advantages of simultaneous recording of electroretinogram and visual evoked potentials; in the study on maturation of the visual system we shall address the question whether electrophysiological development proceeds until adulthood. In infants with congenital nystagmus whose impaired vision is not clinically well recognised, we shall study how useful visual electrophysiolgy is in the search for the underlying sensory deficit. In children with suspected optic neuritis, we shall study clinical and electrophysiological parameters that may determine definitive diagnosis of optic neuritis. We expect that our findings could contribute to the formation of guidelines for paediatric electrophysiology by ISCEV (International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision).