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Full-field electroretinogram response to increment and decrement stimuli

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Abstract

Purpose

The d-wave is typically elicited after the termination of an increment flash, but a decrement flash provides an alternative, and perhaps more appropriate, stimulus to elicit the d-wave. Here, we investigated the affects of stimulus polarity on the electroretinogram (ERG) response.

Methods

ERG responses elicited to increment and decrement flashes of varying intensity and duration from different background levels were measured from human participants to assess the b-wave and d-wave responses as a function of adaptation level and flash polarity. Response amplitudes were measured using standard metrics for waveform analysis.

Results

The amplitude of the b-wave is larger than the d-wave regardless of flash polarity when using different background levels which maximized the dynamic range of the two waveforms. However, when response amplitudes are measured from a common background, the d-wave elicited with decrement flash was larger than the b-wave elicited by an increment flash. This trend was evident across a range of background levels. The b-wave and d-wave become separate entities when flash duration reaches approximately 50 ms. Rapid-on and rapid-off sawtooth stimuli were also tested against increment and decrement step stimuli that were matched in mean luminance. These two stimulus types produced different amplitude b-wave and d-wave responses, suggesting asymmetric effects of the two stimulus types on the retinal response.

Conclusions

We conclude that the response properties of the b-wave and d-wave are influenced by the duration, polarity and waveform of the stimulus, as well as the background from which the stimuli arise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, 317 Life Sciences Bldg., University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    Eric Vukmanic, Kate Godwin, Pan Shi & Paul DeMarco Jr.

  2. Department of Psychology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, USA

    Alan Hughes

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  1. Eric Vukmanic
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  2. Kate Godwin
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  3. Pan Shi
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  4. Alan Hughes
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  5. Paul DeMarco Jr.
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Correspondence to Paul DeMarco Jr..

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Vukmanic, E., Godwin, K., Shi, P. et al. Full-field electroretinogram response to increment and decrement stimuli. Doc Ophthalmol 129, 85–95 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-014-9455-9

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