Effects of reference electrode location on monopolar-derived multifocal electroretinograms in cynomolgus monkeys.

PubMed ID: 16514493

Author(s): Kim CB, VerHoeve JN, Kaufman PL, Nork TM. Effects of reference electrode location on monopolar-derived multifocal electroretinograms in cynomolgus monkeys. Doc Ophthalmol. 2005 Sep;111(2):113-25. Epub 2006 Mar 2. PMID 16514493

Journal: Documenta Ophthalmologica. Advances In Ophthalmology, Volume 111, Issue 2, Sep 2005

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of reference electrode location on the multifocal electroretinographic waveform. Multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) were recorded from 20 ocularly normal cynomolgus monkeys. The corneal electrode was an ERG-jet referenced to an ipsilaterally (outer canthus) situated subdermal needle electrode and to the contralateral corneal electrode. Testing was monocular and recordings from both montages were obtained simultaneously. The stimulus array consisted of 103 equal-sized hexagonal elements, which subtended +/-44 degrees about the central visual axis. Mean luminance of the display was 100 cd/m2. First-order (K1) and second-order (first slice) kernels (K2.1) of the mfERG were grouped in (a) 4 rings, representing the central 56 degrees of visual field and (b) in 15-element quadrants. The mfERG waveform measures included amplitude, implicit time, and root mean square (RMS) of the oscillatory potentials (OP) and response waveform. K1 and K2.1 ring and quadrant amplitudes were larger with the contralateral than with the ipsilateral reference, but more notably signal-to-noise ratios (S:N) of the response waveform were always larger with the ipsilateral reference. Implicit times were longer for the contralateral than ipsilateral reference montage. K1 and K2.1 implicit times in males were longer than in females. Quadrant groupings revealed generally larger K1 and K2.1 amplitudes in nasal than in temporal retina.