Premium
Age‐related changes of defocus‐specific contrast sensitivity in healthy subjects
Author(s) -
Nio Y. K.,
Jansonius N. M.,
Fidler V.,
Geraghty E.,
Norrby S.,
Kooijman A.C.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1046/j.1475-1313.2000.00539.x
Subject(s) - contrast (vision) , sensitivity (control systems) , pupil size , focus (optics) , spatial frequency , pupil , optics , depth of focus (tectonics) , ophthalmology , optometry , audiology , medicine , physics , biology , paleontology , subduction , electronic engineering , tectonics , engineering
Summary To investigate the effect of defocus on contrast sensitivity as a function of age in healthy subjects, the through focus contrast sensitivity was measured in 100 healthy subjects aged 20–69. Defocus‐specific changes in contrast sensitivity reflect age‐related changes in the optics of the eye. Tests were performed in cycloplegic eyes varying artificial pupil size (2, 4 and 6 mm), defocus (−1 to +2 D), and spatial frequency (1–16 cpd). Integrated contrast sensitivity was taken as a measure for the total amount of visual information transferred by the optical media. At optimal focus, integrated contrast sensitivity and log contrast sensitivity at 8 cpd showed a significant age‐related decline. The log contrast sensitivity at 1 cpd appeared to be independent of age. The depth of focus for a 4‐mm pupil increased significantly with age, even though contrast sensitivity at +2 D defocus decreases with age too, but not as much as the contrast sensitivity at optimal focus. Our study indicates that the effect of defocus on contrast sensitivity decreases with age; this was attributed to age‐related changes in the optical media.