Biomaterial Database

Contrast sensitivity versus visual acuity in retinal disease. 1986

M F Marmor

A large group of individuals with retinal disease were tested prospectively for contrast sensitivity by means of Arden gratings. A subgroup of 19 were also tested with the Nicolet automated television system. Individuals with macular or peripheral dystrophy showed a general reduction in contrast sensitivity as visual acuity decreased. The loss of contrast sensitivity was more prominent for high spatial frequencies (6.4 cycles per degree) than for low ones (0.2 cycles per degree). Similar results were obtained for patients with achromatopsia and congenital stationary night blindness. Patients with functional complaints, but no organic basis for decreased acuity, showed greater scatter in their test scores. The Nicolet results showed somewhat smoother curves, but were no more specific in separating normality from abnormality. Contrast sensitivity testing was not specific for the retinal disease entities considered, but may be useful in recording a degree of retinal damage and a degree of functional visual disability. Contrast sensitivity appeared to be reduced whenever acuity was reduced, so that a distinction could be made between patients having a loss of contrast beyond the expectations for their level of acuity and those in whom a loss of contrast simply corroborates the reduction of acuity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008268	Macular Degeneration	Degenerative changes in the RETINA usually of older adults which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the MACULA LUTEA) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in dry and wet forms.	Maculopathy,Maculopathy, Age-Related,Age-Related Macular Degeneration,Age-Related Maculopathies,Age-Related Maculopathy,Macular Degeneration, Age-Related,Macular Dystrophy,Maculopathies, Age-Related,Age Related Macular Degeneration,Age Related Maculopathies,Age Related Maculopathy,Age-Related Macular Degenerations,Degeneration, Macular,Dystrophy, Macular,Macular Degeneration, Age Related,Macular Degenerations,Macular Dystrophies,Maculopathies,Maculopathy, Age Related
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009755	Night Blindness	Failure or imperfection of vision at night or in dim light, with good vision only on bright days. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Nyctalopia,Blindness, Night
D010364	Pattern Recognition, Visual	Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs.	Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D012164	Retinal Diseases	Diseases involving the RETINA.	Disease, Retinal,Diseases, Retinal,Retinal Disease
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003117	Color Vision Defects	Defects of color vision are mainly hereditary traits but can be secondary to acquired or developmental abnormalities in the CONES (RETINA). Severity of hereditary defects of color vision depends on the degree of mutation of the ROD OPSINS genes (on X CHROMOSOME and CHROMOSOME 3) that code the photopigments for red, green and blue.	Achromatopsia,Color Blindness,Monochromatopsia,Color Blindness, Acquired,Color Blindness, Blue,Color Blindness, Green,Color Blindness, Inherited,Color Blindness, Red,Color Blindness, Red-Green,Color Vision Deficiency,Deutan Defect,Protan Defect,Tritan Defect,Achromatopsias,Acquired Color Blindness,Blindness, Color,Blue Color Blindness,Color Blindness, Red Green,Color Vision Defect,Color Vision Deficiencies,Defect, Color Vision,Defect, Deutan,Defects, Color Vision,Deficiencies, Color Vision,Deficiency, Color Vision,Green Color Blindness,Inherited Color Blindness,Red Color Blindness,Red-Green Color Blindness,Vision Defect, Color,Vision Defects, Color,Vision Deficiencies, Color,Vision Deficiency, Color
D005556	Form Perception	The sensory discrimination of a pattern, shape, or outline.	Contour Perception,Contour Perceptions,Form Perceptions,Perception, Contour,Perception, Form,Perceptions, Contour,Perceptions, Form
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths