Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of changes of color visual evoked potential (PVEP) in early primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).
Method: Thirty-one patients (45 eyes) with POAG and fifty-one persons (94 eyes) as age-matched normal controls were tested by color PVEP.
Results: In POAG group, the latencies of P100 wave were lengthened, its amplitudes and wave form indexes decreased, the latencies of N145 wave were lengthened, and the amplitudes of N75 wave were lowered. In early POAG eyes without the changes detected by Goldmann perimetry, their color PVEPs were already abnormal. Stepwise regression analysis shows that four factors in color PVEP are correlated to the defect of visual field in POAG. It is proved with the stepwise discriminatory analysis that seven factors in the color PVEP are useful in the diagnosis of early POAG.
Conclusions: Several factors in color PVEP are abnormal in POAG. In early POAG eyes without changes detected by Goldmann perimetry, their color PVEPs are already abnormal. By using discriminatory function, the positive rate of the diagnosis of early POAG tested by color PVEP might be increased.