Frequency spectrum and amplitude analysis of dark- and light-adapted oscillatory potentials in albino mouse, rat and rabbit.

We studied frequency spectrum, implicit time and amplitude of oscillatory potentials (OPs) in albino mice, rats, and rabbits. Oscillatory potentials were extracted digitally from dark- and light-adapted electroretinograms (ERGs) recorded with a protocol commonly used in our laboratory. The frequency spectra of OPs were analyzed by using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). Oscillatory potential amplitudes were calculated via numerically integrating the power spectrum. Oscillatory potential frequency spectra vary among species and are light-intensity dependent. In dark-adapted ERG, mouse and rat OPs have one major component with a frequency peak at approximately 100 Hz. Rabbits show multiple frequency peaks with a low frequency peak around 75 Hz. In all the three species, the implicit time of light-adapted OP is longer than that of the dark-adapted OPs. At a given intensity, mice have the highest OP responses. Our data suggest that the commonly used bandpass of 75 Hz (or even 100 Hz) to 300 Hz for OP extraction is insufficient in these animals. In order to acquire the complete OP responses from the ERG signals, it is necessary to determine the OP frequency spectrum. In this study, the lower end cutoff frequency was set at 40 Hz in mice, 65 Hz in rats and rabbits.

Study of rod- and cone-driven oscillatory potentials in mice.

PURPOSE: To characterize rod- and cone-driven oscillatory potentials (OPs) in mice. METHODS: Dark- and light-adapted electroretinograms (ERGs) were obtained in three mouse models: wild-type C57BL/6J mouse, cone photoreceptor function loss 1 (cpfl1) mouse, and rhodopsin knockout (rho-/-) mouse. A Butterworth filter was used to extract OPs from ERG signals. Latencies were calculated from the extracted OPs. Major frequency components were determined from OP power spectra computed using fast Fourier transform (FFT). The total power of the OP signal (an alternative measurement of amplitude) was calculated by numerically integrating the area enclosed by its frequency spectra, which is analogous to the total energy of mechanical vibration. RESULTS: In C57BL/6J mice, dark- and light-adapted OPs had distinctly different peak frequencies (100 to 120 Hz and 70 to 85 Hz, respectively). In cpfl1 mice which possess pure rod ERGs, dark-adapted OPs had a peak frequency similar to those of the wild-type mice, whereas light-adapted ERGs and OPs were not detectable. In rho-/- mice with pure cone functions, both dark-adapted and light-adapted OPs had peak frequencies of 70 to 90 Hz, which were similar to those obtained from light-adapted OPs in wild-type mice. The total power of cone-driven OPs was less than 5% that of rod-driven OPs. In time-domain, cone-driven OPs occurred approximately 13 ms after rod-driven OPs. CONCLUSIONS: Cone- and rod-driven OPs exhibit significantly different characteristics in peak frequency, latency, and total power. By using these characteristics, it is possible to differentiate cone- and rod-driven OPs in mouse models. Understanding these OP features is essential for analyzing OPs.