Flicker fusion thresholds in multiple sclerosis. A functional measure of neurological damage
M. L. Daley, R. L. Swank and C. M. Ellison
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been shown to have a measurable
deterioration in the ability to perceive temporal variations of light.
Compared to the traditional critical flicker fusion (CFF) measure, a
modified flicker fusion test showed an improved sensitivity for denoting
neurological deficit in temporal vision. One hundred twenty-two patients
with MS were examined. The traditional CFF test exhibited abnormalities in
48%; the modified test exhibited abnormalities in 78% of the same patients.
These results appear to be independent of whether or not the demyelinating
disease clinically involved the visual system. Also, the percentage of
abnormalities demonstrated by combining both techniques was unexpectedly
high (60% to 80%) in patients with minimal evidence of neurological
involvement.
