The art and the science of electroretinography in veterinary practice

Description:

In this course you will learn everything you wanted to know about ERG but were afraid to ask. We shall begin by reviewing the anatomy and physiology of the retina, to understand the origin of the ERG signal. Then we shall review the technical setup for a proper recording – how to prepare your patient, the equipment needed, and the protocols and settings you will use. We shall discuss how to improve your recordings by overcoming technical issues, such as noise, that may affect your recording. Additional electrophysiological modalities, such as VEP’s, and pattern and multifocal ERG, will also be reviewed. Next, we will discuss ancillary tests in screening of cataract patients (e.g., gonioscopy, ultrasound). We shall conclude by reviewing and discussing clinical cases in electroretinography. You are also encouraged to submit your own ERG cases for discussion! In the second part of the course, we will introduce you to the new RETevet handheld ERG unit and its operation. We will conduct a wetlab, enabling you to practice recordings of various ERG protocols on sedated dogs. As space in the wetlab is limited, the class will be divided into two groups, and those not in the wetlab will „explore the posterior segment“ with Barbara Braus.

Target Group:

The course is intended primarily for two audiences. The first is veterinary ophthalmologists and other veterinarians with a substantial ophthalmology caseload. The second is researchers in the fields of vision and ophthalmology who conduct electrophysiological recordings in the course of their work.

Seminar Objective:

• Understand the anatomical and physiological origins of the ERG signal

• Be able to conduct a high-quality ERG recording, having covered every step from patient preparation to selecting the equipment and protocols suited for your needs

• Overcome technical issues affecting your signals, analyze the recording and reach a diagnosis

Download Seminar Program as PDF:

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Speakers:

Prof. Ron Ofri

Ron Ofri was a member of the charter class of the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Upon his graduation he traveled to the University of Florida, where he spent the next 4 years undergoing clinical training in veterinary ophthalmology and obtaining his Ph.D. During this time Ron developed an interest in the physiology of vision, focusing on retinal electrophysiology and animal models of retinal diseases. Upon his graduation Ron returned to Israel and joined the faculty of his alma mater, where he is currently a Professor in veterinary ophthalmology, and author of more than 90 refereed papers. Ron is a contributing author to the Gelatt's classic textbook Veterinary Ophthalmology (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th editions) as well as a co-author of the popular textbook Slatter's Fundamentals of Veterinary Ophthalmology (4th, 5th and 6th editions). Ron is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO), a former ECVO Executive Board member and Scientific Committee member and in 2002-2005 he served as President of the European Society of Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Ron is also a very popular international speaker, having been invited to talk in more than 35 countries and 6 continents, lecturing in continuing education seminars, national meetings and world congresses for general practitioners, as well as advanced training courses for veterinary ophthalmologists. Ron has authored the chapter on Visual Optics in the last 4 editions of Gelatts Veterinary Ophthalmology. He has been lecturing on the topic, and teaching retinoscopy, at the ACVO Basic Science Course every 2 years since 2002, as well as in advanced symposiums in Asia, Australia, USA, and several European countries.

Dr. Barbara Braus

Barbara received her veterinary degree in 2005 from Munich Veterinary School in Germany. She subsequently performed a doctoral thesis about the “Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome” and completed a small animal rotating internship at Munich Veterinary School. In 2008 Barbara moved to the UK where she underwent a residency training program at Willows Referral Centre in Solihull which was supervised by Heidi Featherstone and Christine Heinrich. Barbara holds the European diploma in veterinary ophthalmology. In 2011, she moved back to Germany to work at Munich Veterinary School. In 2012 Barbara joined the ophthalmology service at Vienna Veterinary School where she enjoyed teaching and scientific work. In 2017 Barbara started a new ophthalmology referral service in Germany in a multi-disciplinary hospital.