Walsh & Hoyt: Electrophysiologic Tests

Frequently, the physician is confronted with a patient who has unexplained loss of vision and an apparently normal fundus examination. Because electrophysiologic testing often provides diagnostic clues as to the etiology of the unexplained visual loss, it should be part of the neuro-ophthalmologic examination in selected patients. Electrophysiology provides an objective method for evaluating the function of the visual system from the retina to the visual cortex. Several electrodiagnostic methods can be used to evaluate the status of individual components of the afferent visual pathways.