Changes in the latencies of visual-evoked potentials in people undergoing tennis training Dynamic comparison before and after 8 weeks training

BACKGROUND： Some previous studies have shown that exercise is an important factor that affects the latencies of visual-evoked potentials （VEPs）. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of spending a period of time undergoing tennis training on the latencies of VEPs by comparing the latencies of VEPs before tennis training with those after 8 weeks of tennis training. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The non-randomly concurrent controlled experiment was performed in the Department of Human Movement Sciences, Physical Education College, Shandong Normal University from April to June 2007. PARTICIPANTS： In total, 45 healthy volunteers from Shandong Normal University were selected as subjects, including 31 students majoring in physical education （11 males and 5 females participated in the tennis training plan for 8 weeks）, and 14 students from other subjects. Informed consent was obtained. According to whether they were majoring in physical education or not, and whether or not they took part in tennis training, the students were divided into 3 groups： a tennis group of physical education students （n = 16） a non-tennis group of physical education students （n =15） and a non-tennis group of non-physical education students （n = 14）. METHODS： The subjects in the tennis group took part in a regular tennis training plan of 2 hours a day and 3 days per week, for 8 weeks, while the subjects in two non-tennis groups were not in the tennis training plan The NDI-200 neural electricity tester （Shanghai Haishen Medical Electronic Instrument Co., Ltd.） was used to measure VEPs before and after the experiment in all three groups, and to compare the latencies of VEPs recorded before training with those recorded after training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Comparison of the changes in latencies of VEPs before and after 8 weeks of tennis training. RESULTS： All 45 subjects finished the test and datas from all were included in the statistical analysis. There were no significant differences among all the three groups before tennis training, but the female subjects in each group showed significantly shorter N75 latencies than male subjects of the same group （P 〈 0.05）. Comparing the latencies of VEPs after training with those recorded before training, the N75, P100 and N145 latencies were all found to be significantly shorter than before training in the tennis group （P 〈 0.05）, but the N75, P100 and N145 latencies were unaffected in the two non-tennis groups （P 〉 0.05）; some latencies were even significantly longer than the before-training values. CONCLUSION： Special tennis training for 8 weeks can make the subjects＇ VEP latencies significantly shorter. Thus, VEP latencies can change with tennis training.

Visual acuity evaluated by pattern-reversal visual-evoked potential is affected by check size/visual angle

Objective To systemically explore the range of visual angles that affect visual acuity, and to establish the relationship between the P 1 component （peak latency -100 ms） of the pattern-reversal visual-evoked potential （PRVEP） and the visual acuity at particular visual angles. Methods Two hundred and ten volunteers were divided into seven groups, according to visual acuity as assessed by the standard logarithmic visual acuity chart （SLD-II）. For each group, the PRVEP components were elicited in response to visual angle presentations at 8°, 4°, 2°, 1°/60＇, 30＇, 15＇, and 7.5＇, in the whiteblack chess-board reversal mode with a contrast level of 100% at a frequency of 2 Hz. Visual stimuli were presented monocularly, and 200 presentations were averaged for each block of trials. The early and stable component P1 was recorded at the mid-line of the occipital region （Oz） and analyzed with SPSS 13.00. Results （1） Oz had the maximum Pl amplitude; there was no significant difference between genders or for interocular comparison in normal controls and subjects with optic myopia. （2） The P1 latency decreased slowly below 30＇, then increased rapidly. The P1 amplitude initially increased with check size, and was maximal at -1° and -30＇. （3） The P1 latency in the group with visual acuity 〈0.2 was signifi- cantly different at 8°, 15＇ and 7.5＇, while the amplitude differed at all visual angles, compared with the group with normal vision. Differences in P1 for the groups with 0.5 and 0.6 acuity were only present at visual angles 〈1°. （4） Regression analysis showed that the P1 latency and amplitude were associated with visual acuity over the full range of visual angles. There was a moderate correlation at visual angles 〈30＇. Regression equations were calculated for the P1 components and visual acuity, based on visual angle. Conclusion （1） Visual angle should be taken into consideration when exploring the function of the visual pathway, especially visual acuity. A visual angle -60＇ might be appropriate when using PRVEP com- ponents to evaluate poor vision and to identify malingerers. （2） Increased P1 amplitude and decreased P1 latency were as- sociated with increasing visual acuity, and the P1 components displayed a linear correlation with visual acuity, especially in the range of optimal visual angles. Visual acuity can be deduced from P 1 based on visual angle.