Wavelet Transform improves time-frequency characterization of the Electroretinographic Oscillatory Potentials as compared to Short-Time Fourier Transform across experimental and clinical models
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (UPMC Vision Institute), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Abstract
Purpose: To compare continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and short-time Fourier transform (STFT) analyses of the oscillatory potentials (OPs) of the dark-adapted full-field electroretinogram (FFERG). Methods: FFERG recordings from Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and healthy Brown Norway (BN) rats, wild-type and Atoh7 enhancer-knockout (KO) mice, and patients with diabetic retinopathy and healthy controls were analyzed with STFT and with CWT employing the real Morlet wavelet, after 60 Hz high-pass and sharp 60 Hz notch filtering. Time- and frequency-localized OP features were quantified and the methods compared on detection of transient OP signals. Both were additionally validated using synthetic OP-like bursts of known frequency embedded in each cohort's recorded noise. Results: CWT revealed distinct time-frequency patterns and disease-specific OP alterations across all rat, mouse, and human cohorts, with improved temporal localization and frequency resolution, whereas STFT merged transient features and was more susceptible to noise. CWT-derived dominant-frequency differences reached significance in all three models; the corresponding STFT difference reached significance only in rats (separate tests; methods not directly compared). In synthetic bursts, both methods recovered injected frequencies to within 1-2.5 Hz, but only CWT resolved two bursts separated by 15 ms. Conclusions: CWT employing the real Morlet wavelet provides a robust, physiologically relevant evaluation of OPs, with improved temporal localization and reduced spectral dispersion relative to STFT in clinical and experimental settings. Translational Relevance: CWT analysis may improve the characterization of inner retinal dysfunction by preserving transient OP time-frequency structure, as illustrated in preclinical rodent models and diabetic retinopathy patients.
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BibTeX
@misc{reiman2026wavelet,
title = {{Wavelet Transform improves time-frequency characterization of the Electroretinographic Oscillatory Potentials as compared to Short-Time Fourier Transform across experimental and clinical models}},
author = {P. Reiman and S. Ghiam and A. Beryozkin and V. Stein Uman and A. Sahel and J.-F. Mouillet and L. Janeschitz-Kriegl and J. Safran and E. Shemuelian and O. Beale and S. Khateb and A. Ayalon and R. Hagan and A. Liasis and D. Stavropoulos and K.-C. Chang and T. Kuwajima and K. Mehta and I. Aldiri and A. Caspi and I. Audo and E. Banin and J.-A. Sahel and B. Rosin},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.26.754708},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.26.754708v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Wavelet Transform improves time-frequency characterization of the Electroretinographic Oscillatory Potentials as compared to Short-Time Fourier Transform across experimental and clinical models
AU - P. Reiman
AU - S. Ghiam
AU - A. Beryozkin
AU - V. Stein Uman
AU - A. Sahel
AU - J.-F. Mouillet
AU - L. Janeschitz-Kriegl
AU - J. Safran
AU - E. Shemuelian
AU - O. Beale
AU - S. Khateb
AU - A. Ayalon
AU - R. Hagan
AU - A. Liasis
AU - D. Stavropoulos
AU - K.-C. Chang
AU - T. Kuwajima
AU - K. Mehta
AU - I. Aldiri
AU - A. Caspi
AU - I. Audo
AU - E. Banin
AU - J.-A. Sahel
AU - B. Rosin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/26
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.26.754708
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.26.754708v1
AB - Purpose: To compare continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and short-time Fourier transform (STFT) analyses of the oscillatory potentials (OPs) of the dark-adapted full-field electroretinogram (FFERG). Methods: FFERG recordings from Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) and healthy Brown Norway (BN) rats, wild-type and Atoh7 enhancer-knockout (KO) mice, and patients with diabetic retinopathy and healthy controls were analyzed with STFT and with CWT employing the real Morlet wavelet, after 60 Hz high-pass and sharp 60 Hz notch filtering. Time- and frequency-localized OP features were quantified and the methods compared on detection of transient OP signals. Both were additionally validated using synthetic OP-like bursts of known frequency embedded in each cohort's recorded noise. Results: CWT revealed distinct time-frequency patterns and disease-specific OP alterations across all rat, mouse, and human cohorts, with improved temporal localization and frequency resolution, whereas STFT merged transient features and was more susceptible to noise. CWT-derived dominant-frequency differences reached significance in all three models; the corresponding STFT difference reached significance only in rats (separate tests; methods not directly compared). In synthetic bursts, both methods recovered injected frequencies to within 1-2.5 Hz, but only CWT resolved two bursts separated by 15 ms. Conclusions: CWT employing the real Morlet wavelet provides a robust, physiologically relevant evaluation of OPs, with improved temporal localization and reduced spectral dispersion relative to STFT in clinical and experimental settings. Translational Relevance: CWT analysis may improve the characterization of inner retinal dysfunction by preserving transient OP time-frequency structure, as illustrated in preclinical rodent models and diabetic retinopathy patients.
ER -