·AIM:To investigate the changes of retinal oscillatory potentials(OPs)and visual evoked potentials(VEP)in diabetes patients without the occurrence of retinopathy during different course of the disease.·METHODS:International Standards were adopted to 35 cases 70 eyes with normal OPs and VEP,and 94 patients 188 eyes diagnosed with diabetes without retinopathy occurence were divided into three groups according to duration of disease,and the OPs and VEP were detected.·RESULTS:The experimental group and control group showed reduction of OPs and decrease of VEP peak amplitude.There were statistically significant differences(P<0.01).The comparisons between the experimental groups showed that the longer duration,the lower amplitude OPs,and the lower the peak VEP,the longer the latent time(P<0.01).·CONCLUSION:Before there is fundus lesion in diabetic patients VEP and OPs have been abnormal,and with prolonged duration of diabetes,more obvious changes are observed in the indicators.Therefore,the use of OPs and PVEP for the joint detection underlies early diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.·