Abstract

Many patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) show cone ERG b-waves that are depressed in amplitude and delayed in timing even during the early stages of RP^e.g.1-3. Further, patients' photopic, visual fields measured with static perimetry show a range of losses in sensitivity both within and across patients⁴-⁷. Because of the difficulty in obtaining focal ERGs with conventional methods, little is known about the relationship of local sensitivity to local retinal activity outside the central retina. The multi-focal technique as described by Sutter and colleagues⁸,⁹ allows for simultaneous measurement of 103 focal retinal responses. Although a general agreement has been observed between visual field losses and multi-focal ERGs in patients with RP¹⁰-¹², the relationship between local sensitivity changes and multi--focal ERG changes has yet to be explored. Here patients' multi-focal ERGs are compared to local visual field sensitivity measured with static perimetry.

© 1997 Optical Society of America