ORIGINAL ARTICLE
VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIAL CHANGES IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
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1
Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Afyon, Turkey
2
Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Afyon, Turkey
Online publication date: 2007-07-15
Publication date: 2007-07-15
Corresponding author
Murat Sezer
Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Göğüs
Hastalıkları A.D. Ali Çetinkaya kampusü, Uygulama ve
Araştırma Hastanesi (Mavi Hastane)
İzmir yolu 9.km Afyonkarahisar / Türkiye
Tel: 902722142069 – 1117, Fax: 902722133066
Eur J Gen Med 2007;4(3):115-118
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Aim: The normal visual evoked potential (VEP) reflects the functional integrity of the visual
pathways from retinal to occipital striate area. Visual reseptors are sensitive to hypoxemia.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease, in which hypoxemia
occurs due to ventilation-perfusion imbalance. We aimed to evaluate the effects of COPD on
VEPs.
Methods: Thirty eight COPD patients and 17 healthy control subjects were accepted to the
study. Pulmonary function tests were performed to all the participants. VEP of all participants
were recorded.
Results: P1 (P100) values of both right and left eyes (p=0.008 and p=0.010, respectively)
and N2 value of right eye (p=0.030) were significantly higher in COPD patients than the control
group. As there was just 1 female COPD patient, the measurements were re-evaluated for just
male subjects. P1 values of both right and left eyes were significantly higher in male COPD
patients than male control subjects (p=0.031 and p=0.023, respectively).
Conclusion: VEPs, particularly P1 value, alters in COPD patients. This change in VEPs was
thought to be due to hypoxemia caused by ventilation-perfusion imbalance in COPD.