Abstract

A STUDY ON EARLY DETECTION OF CHANGES IN VISUAL PATHWAY DUE TO DIABETES MELLITUS BY VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIAL

Electrical potentials have been recorded by surface Evoked Potentials namely the Somatosensory Evoked Potential, Auditory Brainstem Response and Visual Evoked Potential [VEP]. Visual conduction disturbance can be evaluated by these instruments. A mass response of cortical and possibly subcortical may be represented, visual areas to visual stimuli. Diabetic patients without a past history of cerebrovascular accidents diagnosed with Non- Proliferative Diabetic retinopathy[DR] with a best corrected visual acuity at least 6/9.This study was done to assess whether a delay in VEP latency observed in diagnosed type II DM patients could be ascribed to dysfunction of the retinal or post retinal structures or by both. It is to find out whether the VEP latencies are altered in diabetes or not, if altered and to correlate duration of the diabetes mellitus with visual evoked potential changes. Visual evoked potentials are useful as a non invasive investigatory method in establishing central nervous system neuropathy developing in diabetes. This study clearly shows that changes in VEP may be detected in diabetics before the onset of retinopathy. Future studies should be focused on evaluation of the time that elapses between the appearance of the first detectable pathologic electrophysiologic changes and the first ophthalmoscopically detectable retinal changes in patients with Diabetes Mellitus [DM].

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