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Effects of unsteady fixation on multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG)

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the effect of unsteady fixation on the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) measurement in normal subjects.

Methods

The mfERGs of 20 subjects with normal vision (mean age=23.5 years) were recorded with different levels of voluntary eye movements made to mimic unsteady fixation. Subjects were required to move their fixation regularly every 2 s between the center and the ends of a fixation cross, so that 51.2% of the time fixation was at the center and 12.2% of the time it was at each end of the fixation cross. Four different conditions were performed: central fixation (without voluntary eye movements) and with 2°, 4° and 6° magnitude of unsteady fixation. First-order kernel mfERG findings are presented.

Results

Analysis of the ring responses indicated that the central mfERG amplitude was most affected by unsteady fixation. There was significantly reduced amplitude for 4° unsteady fixation and as expected, this reduction became larger with 6° unstable fixation. However, there was no significant effect on the center hexagon amplitude for 2° unsteady fixation. The amplitudes of the ring-2 responses were only affected in the 6° unsteady fixation condition. No significant change in implicit time was found for any level of unsteady fixation.

Conclusion

These results suggest that mfERG amplitude is not substantially affected if fixation is maintained within the central stimulus hexagon. We conclude that, for patients with poor fixation, the accuracy of mfERG results may be difficult to interpret and the use of a fixation-monitoring system is desirable for ideal measurement. The depth of depression at the blind spot area may be another useful parameter to interpret the accuracy of mfERG results in patients with poor fixation.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Associated Fund (Research Postgraduate) from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Competitive Earmark Research Grant (PolyU 5384/04M) from The Research Grants Committee of the Hong Kong SAR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, People’s Republic of China

    Patrick H. W. Chu & Henry H. L. Chan

  2. School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

    Susan J. Leat

Authors
  1. Patrick H. W. Chu
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  2. Henry H. L. Chan
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  3. Susan J. Leat
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Correspondence to Henry H. L. Chan.

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Chu, P.H.W., Chan, H.H.L. & Leat, S.J. Effects of unsteady fixation on multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmo 244, 1273–1282 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-006-0304-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-006-0304-8

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