Effect of age on pattern‑reversal visual evoked potentials in Indian population

Jayshree Phurailatpam; Arun Kumar Sharma; Ramji Singh

Jayshree Phurailatpam Department of Physiology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India
Arun Kumar Sharma Department of Radiotherapy, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India.
Ramji Singh Department of Physiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sewagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

Keywords: Aging, Differential aging, Indians, Light exposure, Pattern‑reversal visual evoked potentials

Abstract

Background and Aim: Functional declines of the visual system are probably the most obvious aging changes in humans. Normal non‑pathologic aging causes senile miosis and media opacities which cannot entirely explain the age‑related declines. Changes in the retina and its neuro‑circuitary contribute to the visual decline, which can be evaluated by evoked potentials. We investigated the effects of age on various components of transient pattern‑reversal visual evoked potentials (t‑PRVEPs) and whether there is presence of any differential aging on t‑PRVEPs in Indian population. Methods: Monocular t‑PRVEPs of 292 eyes from 146 normal subjects living in Wardha, Maharashtra and whose age ranges from 1-75 years, were recorded on an evoked potential recorder. Differences in latencies and amplitude were analyzed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and polynomial regressions. Results: Age affects the PRVEP components differently with the most significant changes encountered in the P100 amplitude. The present study demonstrated that statistically, at least 67% of these changes are contributed by age alone. Comparisons with studies abroad showed similar changes but suggest the existence of an aging difference in Indians by at least 5 years. Indian males and females also showed aging differences with the latter aging earlier by at least 6-7 years. Conclusion: We therefore conclude that Indians seem to age faster compared to other populations and further research on possible causes for this difference in aging is warranted.