Visual Evoked Responses is a term used to describe how the brain responds to visual stimuli. The spelling of this word can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): /ˈvɪʒʊəl/ /ɪˈvəʊkt/ /rɪsˈpɒnsɪz/. The first syllable of "visual" is pronounced with the "zh" sound (like the "s" in "pleasure"). The second word, "evoked," starts with the short "i" sound and the "v" is pronounced as a voiced fricative. The final word, "responses," has the primary stress on the second syllable and is pronounced with a short "o" and voiced "z" sound.
Visual Evoked Responses (VERs) refer to electrical signals generated by the neural activity in the visual system in response to visual stimuli. When a person is exposed to a visual stimulus, such as a flashing light or a pattern, the visual information is processed by the retina and transmitted through the optic nerve to the visual cortex in the brain.
VERs are typically recorded using electroencephalography (EEG), which involves placing electrodes on the scalp to detect and measure the electrical brain activity. The electrodes pick up the electrical signals generated by the visual cortex in response to the visual stimulus, resulting in a waveform known as the VER.
The VER waveform consists of different components, such as the N1 and P1 peaks, which represent specific stages of neural processing in the visual system. The N1 peak corresponds to the negative deflection in the waveform, occurring around 50-100 milliseconds after the presentation of the stimulus. The P1 peak follows the N1 peak and represents the positive deflection in the waveform.
VERs can provide valuable information about the functioning of the visual system. By analyzing the latency and amplitude of the peaks in the VER waveform, researchers can gain insights into various visual processing stages, including retinal response, transmission through the optic nerve, and cortical processing in the visual cortex. VERs are often used in clinical and research settings to diagnose and study visual impairments, as well as to explore visual processing in healthy individuals.