{"paper_id":"3acc0607-dae4-4e18-b4ef-cacffab5e5b0","body_text":"Abstract\nPurpose Although electroretinography (ERG) is vital for evaluating retinal function, conventional corneal electrodes slide or detach in animals. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a novel approach to ERG recording using a metal eyelid speculum for both active and reference electrodes in conjunction with a skin electrode-based ERG device.\nMethods We tested a stainless-steel eyelid speculum as both active and reference electrodes with a skin-electrode ERG system (HE-2000vet) in six healthy Japanese White rabbits. Dark-adapted rod and maximal responses and light-adapted cone and 30 Hz flicker ERGs were recorded in three weekly sessions.\nResults Reproducible waveforms with identifiable a- and b-waves were obtained in every eye; rod b-waves reached 50–90 µV and cone b-waves 40–55 µV. Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed substantial interocular agreement and moderate-to-substantial inter-session reproducibility for b-wave amplitude and implicit time, whereas a-wave metrics were less reliable owing to lower amplitudes. The advantages of speculum electrode over corneal electrodes are that it requires no fur shaving, maintains stable contact regardless of globe orientation, and allows real-time observation.\nConclusions This study demonstrated that an eyelid-speculum electrode is a practical, non-invasive alternative for veterinary and experimental ERG recordings, producing signal quality sufficient for longitudinal and interocular analyses while avoiding cosmetic and technical drawbacks of conventional methods.\nCompeting Interest Statement\nThe authors have declared no competing interest.\nFootnotes\nFunding: This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 25K03446 and 23K09056) and a research grant from the Takahashi Industrial and Economic Research Foundation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation).\nCommercial Relationships Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The equipment (HE-2000vet, Tomey Corporation) used in this study was procured at standard commercial pricing.","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}