The pattern ERG in chicks – Stimulus dependence and optic nerve section

Abstract The chick is widely used in studies of eye growth regulation and myopia. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of pattern (p)ERG as a tool to assess retinal function in such studies. Effects of optical defocus and diffusing blur, manipulations used to alter eye growth experimentally, were evaluated. PERGs were recorded from White-Leghorn chickens, using a checkerboard pattern, including 8 spatial frequencies (0.05–2.2 c/d SF), 13 contrast levels (1–100%), and 8 temporal reversal frequencies (0.5–20 Hz). The acute effects of defocus and diffusing blur were examined. Flash- and pERGs were also recorded from chicks that underwent monocular optic nerve section (ONS), to explore the contribution of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Measurements were made up to 6 weeks post-ONS, complemented with SD-OCT imaging. In normal chicks, the response to 1 Hz, 100% contrast stimuli showed positive- and negative-going waveforms at 43 ms (P1) and 75 ms (N95), respectively, with 0.06–0.1 c/d SF eliciting the largest P1 amplitudes of 21.9 ± 2.5 μV. Contrast levels above 5% yielded measurable P1 responses. Responses were transient and monophasic for 0.5–5 Hz reversal rates, with higher temporal frequencies yielding steady state responses. Defocus and diffusing blur decreased pERG amplitude across all SFs. pERG responses remained normal after ONS, despite the loss of RGCs. In conclusion, chicks show robust pERG responses, which are attenuated by defocus and diffusing blur. The pERG response is not affected by ONS, suggesting that RGCs do not contribute to the chick pERG.