Flicker fusion thresholds in multiple sclerosis. A functional measure of neurological damage.

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.