Contrast Sensitivity Measurement Tests and Methods

Contrast is a measure of the amount of lightness or darkness an object has in relationship to its background. Usually, it is described as Contrast Sensitivity (CS), which actually is the inverse of the contrast threshold. More often than not, stimulus set includes grating patterns of various sizes that are presented in a stationary manner or are dynamically presented by reversing the contrast at different rates. A variety of tests were developed, in order to asses and evaluate contrast sensitivity, in many different ways. A classical method, to check for contrast sensitivity, is the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity chart. The Bailey-Lovie contrast sensitivity chart is another letter chart that deals with differences in the number of letters read on the high and low contrast charts, with a main drawback, the necessity to follow the size of the letters. The Functional Acuity Contrast Test is designed to identify vision loss from a variety of disorders, many of which are not detected by high or low contrast Snellen Acuity tests. The MARS Letter Contrast Sensitivity Test shows good agreement with the Pelli-Robson test and possibly it may be the alternative to the Pelli-Robson chart, in clinical practice and research.

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Pediatric Cataract Surgery: Comparison between Ages at Surgery and Contrast Sensitivity Outcomes

Ophthalmologica Indonesiana ◽

10.35749/journal.v43i1.138 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Aquirina Caesari Putri ◽

Rozalina Loebis

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Cataract Surgery ◽

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Cataract Extraction ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Natural World ◽

P Value ◽

Pediatric Cataract ◽

Low Contrast ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Pediatric cataracts are major causes of children’s blindness. Surgery has proven to be beneficial in terms of visual function prognosis. Contrast sensitivity evaluation after surgery is as important as visual acuity considering that natural world consists of various objects in low-to-medium contrasts. The purpose of this study is to analyze the difference of contrast sensitivity outcomes based on ages at surgery. Method: Retrospective data of children with pediatric developmental cataract from July 2013 to November 2015 were collected. All children who underwent cataract surgery at 60-months-old or less were randomized into two groups, ≤24 months and >24-to-60 months. Contrast sensitivity was then examined with preferential-looking method using Hiding Heidi low-contrast test face chart. The main outcome measures were contrast sensitivity of both groups. Age-at-evaluation, cataract onset, duration of follow-up, duration of deprivation and visual acuity were also noted. Result: Of 14 children (23 eyes), 11 eyes (47,8%) were in ≤24 months group, 12eyes (52,2%) were in >24-to-60 months group. All eyes underwent cataract extraction and similar type of intraocular lens implantation. Mean age-at-surgery was 28,2 months±16,8 (SD). Mean contrast sensitivity for each group was 47,50 %±42,29 and 18,33%±27,38, respectively, with p-value 0,031. Further analysis of Spearman’s correlation test demonstrated significant negative correlation (rs = -0,559; p = 0,006) between the two groups. Conclusion: There was statistically significant difference in contrast sensitivity between those who underwent surgery at ≤24 months and >24-to-60 months. Children who underwent surgery at older ages tend to have better contrast sensitivity afterwards.

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Comparing the CamBlobs2 contrast sensitivity test to the near Pelli‐Robson contrast sensitivity test in normally‐sighted young adults

Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics ◽

10.1111/opo.12862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 1125-1133

Author(s):

Sujata Rijal ◽

Han Cheng ◽

Jason D Marsack

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Sensitivity Test

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Establishment of a normative database and evaluation of the test-retest repeatability of the Spaeth/Richman contrast sensitivity test

Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1007/s10384-018-0640-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 73-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lalita Gupta ◽

Michael Waisbourd ◽

Carina T. Sanvicente ◽

Michael Hsieh ◽

Sheryl S. Wizov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Sensitivity Test ◽

Normative Database

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Spatial Contrast Sensitivity Vision Loss in Children with Cortical Visual Impairment

Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science ◽

10.1167/iovs.12-9775 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 53 (12) ◽

pp. 7730 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

William V. Good ◽

Chuan Hou ◽

Anthony M. Norcia

Keyword(s):

Visual Impairment ◽

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Spatial Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Cortical Visual Impairment

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Genetic disruption of the On visual pathway affects cortical orientation selectivity and contrast sensitivity in mice

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00558.2013 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 111 (11) ◽

pp. 2276-2286 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rashmi Sarnaik ◽

Hui Chen ◽

Xiaorong Liu ◽

Jianhua Cang

Keyword(s):

Contrast Sensitivity ◽

Visual Pathway ◽

Response Variability ◽

Stimulus Contrast ◽

Wild Type ◽

Low Contrast ◽

Pharmacological Blockade ◽

Single Unit Recordings ◽

On And Off Pathways

The retina signals stimulus contrast via parallel On and Off pathways and sends the information to higher visual centers. Here we study the role of the On pathway using mice that have null mutations in the On-specific GRM6 receptor in the retina (Pinto LH, Vitaterna MH, Shimomura K, Siepka SM, Balannik V, McDearmon EL, Omura C, Lumayag S, Invergo BM, Brandon M, Glawe B, Cantrell DR, Donald R, Inayat S, Olvera MA, Vessey KA, Kirstan A, McCall MA, Maddox D, Morgans CW, Young B, Pletcher MT, Mullins RF, Troy JB, Takahashi JS. Vis Neurosci 24: 111–123, 2007; Maddox DM, Vessey KA, Yarbrough GL, Invergo BM, Cantrell DR, Inayat S, Balannik V, Hicks WL, Hawes NL, Byers S, Smith RS, Hurd R, Howell D, Gregg RG, Chang B, Naggert JK, Troy JB, Pinto LH, Nishina PM, McCall MA. J Physiol 586: 4409–4424, 2008). In these “nob” mice, single unit recordings in the primary visual cortex (V1) reveal degraded selectivity for orientations due to an increased response at nonpreferred orientations. Contrast sensitivity in the nob mice is reduced with severe deficits at low contrast, consistent with the phenotype of night blindness in human patients with mutations in Grm6. These cortical deficits can be largely explained by reduced input drive and increased response variability seen in nob V1. Interestingly, increased variability is also observed in the superior colliculus of these mice but does not affect its tuning properties. Further, the increased response variability in the nob mice is traced to the retina, a result phenocopied by acute pharmacological blockade of the On pathway in wild-type retina. Together, our results suggest that the On and Off pathways normally interact to increase response reliability in the retina, which in turn propagates to various central visual targets and affects their functional properties.

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