Question...VEP
 

I may have seen answers on this, but at the time, it was nothing that would stick in my head...it didn't apply. My question is about VEP.

Yesterday, I went for the Evoked Potential on my eyes. It only took a few minutes for my right eye, but I thought it would never end on my left one. On the 11th, I will get results on that, but meanwhile, I am left wondering about it. Would the length of time it took on an eye indicate a problem?

thanks.....sally

I don't know the answer to your question, but I wanted to say I HATED the VEP!!!! That was the only test of a bazzillion tests my neuro had done on me that turned up abnormal (normal MRIs, normal LPs, even normal EEGs although I have a firm seizure diagnosis). The test seemed to go on forever for both my eyes, and it was soooooo hard to keep focused that at times I couldn't, and then they'd start all over. Luckily, they did that one before the AEP, and I ended up falling asleep through the AEP because I was so worn out from the VEP. This was four years ago, and I still shudder at the thought of the VEP. I don't know what the abnormal finding even meant; I had a diagnosis of 6th nerve palsy around that time, had a few minor reoccurances, but never had another VEP (I think at one time the neuro mentioned repeating it, but I never did). I hope you will share what you find out here.

Just came across my report! Just guessing on what I remember about the test, I'm guessing that you had problems keeping your left eye stable, so it had to keep repeating the test? Do you have eye problems? I had problems with lateral (side to side) gaze and controlling eye movement. My results:

"Abnormal visual evoked response bilaterally. Typically a bifid wave pattern changes in reference suggest the possibility of a hemifield defect. Hemifield stimulation might provide better delineation of the abnormality" (Huh, never was done)
"Findings: on left eye stimulation reliable waveforms are identified for waves N75 and N145, however P100 is demonstrated only as a bifid waveform at both check sizes. On right eye stimulation reliable waveforms are identified for waves N75 and N145 and again P100 is also identified as a bifid waveform consistently in spite of changing references and at both check sizes."

Whatever that means.....! Hope you get better answers than I got. I had MRIs and MRAs up the wazoo, two LPs, and even a brainstem evoked response test, and this VER was the only test that was abnormal! Despite loss of balance (the nurses thought I was blind in the hospital because I had to hug walls to walk), urinary retention, swallowing difficulties, etc. etc. etc. Then the seizures (and even my EEGs continue to be normal). Only the VER was ever abnormal. Huh.