Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xm8r8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-25T17:00:32.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electroencephalograms of Children with Permanent Cortical Visual Impairment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Robyn Robertson ,
James E. Jan  and
Peter K.H. Wong
Robyn Robertson*
Affiliation:
Children's Hospital, Vancouver
James E. Jan
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia
Peter K.H. Wong
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia
*
Visually Impaired Program, Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6H 3V4
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The electroencephalograms of 40 children with permanent cortical visual impairment (CVI) were studied. CVI was diagnosed in the presence of severe visual loss, normal or minimal ocular findings and clinical, electrodiagnostic and CT evidence of postgeniculate lesions involving the visual cortex. All patients had a multidisciplinary evaluation, including extensive neurological and ophthalmological investigations. The records did not contain any specific features which would be diagnostic of CVI. Isolated occipital spikes were rare and more commonly multifocal EEG disturbance was seen because of diffuse cerebral involvement. Photic stimulation was of little use in the diagnosis. Multihandicapped children with profound CVI tended to show multifocal abnormalities, no alpha rhythm and a suppressed posterior waking background in their EEGs, whereas those with more residual vision usually had an alpha rhythm. The presence or absence of alpha rhythm seemed to reflect the intactness of the striate cortex. However, the lack of alpha rhythm was not always associated with total blindness and not all children with useful residual vision had alpha rhythm.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , August 1986 , pp. 256 - 261
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1986

References

1.Kellaway, P, Bloxsom, A, Macgregor, M.Occipital spike foci associated with retrolental fibroplasia and other forms of retinal loss in children. ElectroencephalogrClin Neurophysiol 1955;7:469–470.Google Scholar
2.Cohen, J, Boshes, LD, Snider, RS.Electroencephalographic changes following retrolental fibroplasia. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1961; 13: 914–922.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Akiyama, Y, Parmelee, AH, Flescher, J.The electroencephalogram in visually handicapped children. J Pediatr 1964: 65: 233–242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Jeavons, PM.The electroencephalogram in blind children. Br J Ophthalmol 1964:48: 83–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Novikova, LA.Blindness and electrical activity of the brain. Research Series No. 23. New York, American Foundation for the Blind 1973.Google Scholar
6.Marquis DC Effects of removal of visual cortex in mammals with observations of the retention of light discrimination in dogs. Proceedings of the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease 1935; 13:558–565, Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins.Google Scholar
7.Whiting, S, Jan, JE, Wong, PKH, Flodmark, O.Farrell, K, Mccormick, AQ.Permanent cortical visual impairment in children. Dev Med Child Neurol 1985; 27: 730–739.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Bergman, PS.Cerebral blindness. Arch Neurol 1957; 78: 568–583.Google ScholarPubMed
9.Alrich, MS, Alessi, AG, Beck, RW, Gilman, S.Cortical blindness in adults: etiology, diagnosis and prognosis. Ann Neurol 1984; 16: 115.Google Scholar
10.Kooi, KA, Sharbrough, FW.Electrophysiological findings in cortical blindness. Report of a case. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1966; 20: 260–263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Barnet, AB, Manson, JI, Wilner, E.Acute cerebral blindness in childhood. Neurology 1970; 20: 1147–1156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Duchowny, MS.Weiss, IP, Heshmatolah, M, Barnet, AB.Visual evoked response in childhood cortical blindness after head trauma and meningitis. Neurology 1974; 24: 933–940.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Duffy, FH, Burchfiel, JL, Lombroso, CT.Brain electrical activity mapping: a new method for extending the clinical utility of EEG and evoked potential data. Annals of Neurology 1979; 5:309–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Glass, JD.Alpha blocking: absence in visuobehavioral deprivation. Science 1977; 198: 58–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Wiesel, TN.The postnatal development of the visual cortex and the influence of environment. Bioscience Reports 1982; 2: 351–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Hughes, JR, Durtin, MJ, Brown, VP.Usefulness of photic stimulation in routine clinical electroencephalography. Neurology 1960: 10: 777–782.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed