Objective Assessment of Suppression in Amblyopia

描述（由申请人提供）：我们将设计一个客观的测试，基于视觉诱发电位（VEP），以衡量弱视抑制。我们的基本工具是视觉诱发电位单眼反应周期游标开始/偏移过渡的酒吧刺激，其抑制在双视刺激与匹配的轮廓。这种方法的独特之处在于，它可以识别哪只眼睛受到抑制以及每只眼睛的视敏度。虽然我们将在成人受试者中开发和验证该测试，但我们的分视视觉显示系统是专门为婴儿和语言前儿童的最终使用而设计的。我们还将使用一种新的多通道记录系统（测地传感器网络）来探索正常和异常双眼加工之间差异的神经基础。大约4%的儿童在早期发育期间患有斜视和/或屈光参差。这些异常将个体置于各种视觉缺陷的风险中。最严重的后果是一只眼睛弱视。弱视是指没有明显器质性原因的视力丧失，不能通过佩戴眼镜或隐形眼镜来矫正。也许有三分之一的斜视和屈光参差者视力会有所下降。该测试可以帮助诊断婴儿期弱视，以及监测治疗过程中的进展，从而提高良好结果的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will design an objective test, based on the Visual Evoked Potential (VEP), to measure amblyopic suppression. Our basic tool is the VEP monocular response to periodic vernier onset/offset transitions in bar stimuli, and its suppression during dichoptic stimulation with matching contours. What is unique about this approach is that it identifies which eye is being suppressed as well as the visual acuity of each eye. Although we will develop and validate this test in adult subjects, our dichoptic visual display system has been specifically designed for ultimate use with infants and pre-verbal children. We also will use a new multi-channel recording system (Geodesic Sensor Net) to explore the neural basis for the differences between normal and abnormal binocular processing. About 4% of all children suffer from strabismus and/or anisometropia during early development. These abnormalities place an individual at risk for a variety of visual deficiencies. The most serious outcome is amblyopia in one eye. Amblyopia refers to a loss of visual acuity, without obvious organic cause, that cannot be corrected by wearing spectacles or contact lenses. Perhaps one third of strabismics and anisometropes suffer some loss in visual acuity. The proposed test could assist with the diagnosis of amblyopia in infancy, as well as in monitoring progress during treatment, thereby improving the chance of a favorable outcome.