Increased Latency of Visual Evoked Potentials in Healthy Women during Menstruation

We congratulate Dr. Azarmina and colleagues on their study investigating the latency of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) among healthy females during and after menstruation.1 The authors found significantly increased latencies in pattern and flash VEP in their subjects. Their findings are particularly remarkable since the mean latency of the P100 wave was increased by approximately 20 ms (mean increase of 18.7%) causing VEP traces to become almost unreliable for evaluating visual pathway diseases. There are few other studies describing delayed VEP latencies over the luteal phase, yet the changes have not been as much.2,3 The authors presented only one pattern VEP (PVEP) waveform while these traces are as valuable as amplitude and latency figures. Therefore, we kindly ask Dr. Azarmina and colleagues to present at least 5 more PVEP traces to further illustrate waveform changes during the menstrual cycle. Careful analysis of these alterations reveals whether or not the follicular phase has an amplitude enhancing/ latency decreasing/waveform changing effect.