Abstract: Objective To explore the changes of temporal frequency tuning of pattern visual evoked potentials in monocular-deprived amblyopic mice. Methods Eighteen postnatal 26 days C57 BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the normal control (Ctrl) group and the monocular deprivation (MD) group. The right eye of mice in the MD group was sutured with mattress for 5 days of form deprivation to establish the amblyopic model. The Ctrl group was fed in the same environment until postnatal 31 days. The electrodes were implanted on the dura above the visual cortex. The right eyes of the mice were subjected to pattern visual stimulation at different termporal frequencies (2.50, 1.25, 1.00, 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25 Hz) under anesthesia on postnatal 32 days, and pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) were recorded. The difference of P100 wave amplitudes of PVEP recorded under visual stimuli of different temporal frequencies was compared between the two groups. Results There were no significant differences in the amplitudes of PVEP P100 waveforms evoked by stimuli of 6 temporal frequencies between mice of the Ctrl group (F= 2.214, P＞0.05), while there were significant differences in the amplitudes of PVEP P100 waveforms evoked by stimuli of 6 temporal frequencies between mice of the MD group (F=6.588, P＜0.01), and its temporal frequency tuning curve showed low-passing feature. Under high temporal frequencies (2.50 and 1.25 Hz), the P100 wave amplitudes significantly decreased in the MD group compared with the Ctrl group (t= 2.362 and 2.425，P＜0.05). Under middle to low temporal frequencies (1.00, 0.75, 0.50 and 0.25 Hz), there was no significant difference in the P100 wave amplitudes in the MD group compared with the Ctrl group (all P＞0.05). Conclusion The PVEP responses to visual stimuli of high temporal frequencies are decreased in MD mice, but the responses to low temporal frequencies are not significantly influenced

Key words: amblyopia, evoked potentials, visual, mice, inbred C57BL, temporal frequency