Using advanced analysis of multifocal visual-evoked potentials to evaluate the risk of clinical progression in patients with radiologically isolated syndrome

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 21;11(1):2036. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81826-z.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the role of multifocal visual-evoked potentials (mfVEPs) as a guiding factor for clinical conversion of radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS). We longitudinally followed a cohort of 15 patients diagnosed with RIS. All subjects underwent thorough ophthalmological, neurological and imaging examinations. The mfVEP signals were analysed to obtain features in the time domain (SNRmin: amplitude, Latmax: monocular latency) and in the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) domain (bmax: instant in which the CWT function maximum appears, Nmax: number of CWT function maximums). The best features were used as inputs to a RUSBoost boosting-based sampling algorithm to improve the mfVEP diagnostic performance. Five of the 15 patients developed an objective clinical symptom consistent with an inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system syndrome during follow-up (mean time: 13.40 months). The (SNRmin) variable decreased significantly in the group that converted (2.74 ± 0.92 vs. 4.07 ± 0.95, p = 0.01). Similarly, the (bmax) feature increased significantly in RIS patients who converted (169.44 ± 24.81 vs. 139.03 ± 11.95 (ms), p = 0.02). The area under the curve analysis produced SNRmin and bmax values of 0.92 and 0.88, respectively. These results provide a set of new mfVEP features that can be potentially useful for predicting prognosis in RIS patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / pathology
  • Demyelinating Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Demyelinating Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Demyelinating Diseases / pathology
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
  • Eye Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Eye Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Eye Diseases / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / diagnostic imaging
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Visual Acuity / physiology
  • Visual Field Tests
  • Visual Fields
  • Young Adult