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. 2025 Aug;194(4):1409-1415.
doi: 10.1007/s11845-025-03980-x. Epub 2025 Jun 19.

The potential of visual evoked potentials latency and amplitude to be a subclinical predictor of clinical prognosis in multiple sclerosis

Elif Banu Soker  1 , Miray Erdem  2 , Derya Ozdogru  2 , Onur Serdar Gencler  3 , Onder Yesiloglu  4 , Halit Fidanci  2
Affiliations

The potential of visual evoked potentials latency and amplitude to be a subclinical predictor of clinical prognosis in multiple sclerosis

Elif Banu Soker et al. Ir J Med Sci. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by focal demyelinating lesions, axonal dysfunction/degeneration, and gliosis, which can lead to various clinical disabilities. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) is sensitive and repeatable techniques capable of monitoring significant short-term changes in neuroaxonal integrity and alterations in nerve conduction triggered by acute optic neuritis.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate whether VEP latency and amplitude could serve as subclinical predictors of clinical outcomes in MS patients over short-term follow-ups.

Methods: This study was planned to include MS patients diagnosed according to the McDonald Criteria 18 who did not have any psychiatric, neurological, or ocular disorders that could interfere with the main purpose. The VEP test was performed for routine evaluation of demyelination or axonal damage.

Results: A total of 83 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 33.6 ± 9.3 years. Of all the patients, 54 were female (65.1%) and 29 were male (34.9%). Right pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PVEP) P100 (OR for PVEP1: 0.802, p = 0.001; OR for PVEP2: 0.879, p = 0.002) was statistically significant in showing right VEP abnormality at both baseline and at 6 months. Left VEP abnormalities were associated with left PVEP P100 at PVEP1 (OR: 0.852, p = 0.003) and left PVEP N75 at PVEP2 (OR: 0.935, p = 0.029).

Conclusion: VEPs have the potential to predict short-term subclinical stability or progression, making them valuable candidates for early treatment adjustments and evaluating future pharmacotherapy-supported remyelination.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Optic neuritis; Remyelination; Short-term subclinical stability; Visual evoked potentials.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: The ethics committee of the Health Science University, Adana City Research and Training Hospital approved the study. This manuscript was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice guidelines. Informed consent: Written informed consent was not obtained, because this study was performed retrospective study. Consent for publication: Any part of this paper is not under consideration for publishing or published in anywhere else. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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