Validation of a Commercially Available Non-Woven Fabric Electrode for Mouse Electroretinography

Purpose: To evaluate the performance and usability of a commercially available non-woven fabric electrode as a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to standard corneal contact lens electrodes for recording murine electroretinograms. Methods: Using a paired design, full-field electroretinograms were recorded in the same mice using the commercially available non-woven fabric electrode and a conventional contact lens electrode. Key parameters evaluated included (1) stability of baseline noise, (2) dark-adapted intensity-response curves (0.01-100 cd{middle dot}s{middle dot}m-2), (3) light-adapted intensity-response curves (3-100 cd{middle dot}s{middle dot}m-2), (4) 20-Hz and 30-Hz flicker responses, (5) extended recordings targeting slow c-wave kinetics under dark-adapted conditions, and (6) inter-eye consistency via bilateral simultaneous recordings. Results: Eliminating the need for viscous lubricants, the non-woven fabric electrode simplified placement on the cornea, alignment, and re-application. It yielded a-wave and b-wave amplitudes and peak times comparable or superior to those obtained with standard contact lens electrodes. Notably, during prolonged recordings, the non-woven fabric electrode yielded significantly larger c-wave amplitudes while maintaining equivalent baseline noise stability. Bilateral simultaneous recordings demonstrated high inter-eye correlation and low variability of measurements between contralateral eyes. Conclusions: The non-woven fabric electrode provides high-quality, reproducible electroretinographic recordings comparable to (and for c-waves superior to) those obtained using standard corneal contact lens electrodes. This method facilitates standardized data acquisition and improves inter-laboratory reproducibility of murine electroretinography. Translational Relevance: By reducing financial and technical barriers, this non-woven fabric electrode offers an alternative to specialized recording setups, improving experimental throughput and efficiency in ophthalmic research.