VEPs may normalize in some patients with optic neuritis

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Although rare, some patients with optic neuritis may have a spontaneous return to normal values of their visual evoked potentials. Researchers here note the improvement may spontaneously deteriorate, however, after other episodes of subacute demyelination.

Rudy R. Hidajat and David Goode with Christchurch Hospital studied 18 patients with unilateral optic neuritis for 5 years to determine if the affected eye could return latency to the normal range. In cases where the eye did return to normal range, the researchers assessed how long it remained normal before regressing. The normal range was determined by comparing the affected eye to 18 healthy control subjects.

Two patients demonstrated a return to normal latencies, but the eyes regressed within 2 years.

The study is published in the May issue of Documenta Ophthalmologica.