A study of pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava; Jitendra Mahour; Rashmi Dave

Volume : VII, Issue : II, February - 2017

A study of pattern reversal visual evoked potentials in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava, Jitendra Mahour, Rashmi Dave

Abstract :

Introduction: Neuronal dysfunction in hypertension with multifactorial etiology involves white matter involvement and strongly associated with presence of retinal micro vascular lesions. Cortical lesions associated with optic nerve damage and retinopathy leads to visual disturbances. VEPs are the potential changes recorded from the scalp in response to visual stimuli. Since optic nerve is considered to be the part of ain, its subclinical involvement is likely hypertension. It is in this connection the present study involving visual evoked potential was done to see if there was any change in functional integrity of visual pathways in hypertension. The aim of the study was to evaluate the visual evoked potential in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients who have not taken any antihypertensive drugs before.

Methods: 50 cases were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and compared with age, sex matched 50 controls. Study was conducted after getting informed consent, by using the RMS equipment and VEP readings had been taken by standard procedure.

Results: Study showed significant delay in P100 latency when analysed through unpaired student t test having p100 latencies for right eye 101.47±4.98 with p value of 0.0004 and left eye 101.76±5.02 with p value of 0.007 substantiating prechiasmal lesion.

Conclusions: Statistically significant delay in p100 latency suggests that the development of hypertensive retinopathy subclinically, occurs in very early stages of Hypertension, which is not detectable on routine clinical examination. VEP can be suggested for screening in high–risk individuals to evaluate the functional integrity of visual pathway in hypertension and as a key to unravel the mystery of hidden Hypertensive Morbidity and Mortality.