Retinal-Image Quality and Contrast-Sensitivity Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: In this article, retinal-image quality and contrast sensitivity were measured in 25 patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and 15 patients with normal retinal health.

Materials and Method: Retinal-image quality was evaluated with an objective device based on the double-pass technique, and for visual performance we measured the contrast-sensitivity function.

Results: The results from double-pass device revealed the Strehl ratio to be significantly (p < 0.0001) lower for the ARMD group with a 54.3% reduction for 3 mm pupil size and a 46.9% reduction for 4 mm. Contrast-sensitivity function for ARMD subjects was also significantly lower than for the control group (p < 0.05) with a 38.6% reduction.

Conclusions: Patients affected with ARMD showed poorer retinal-image quality and visual performance than normal subjects. The use of objective devices based on the double-pass technique could be useful for the accurate description of the retinal-image quality of ARMD eyes, in which retinal scattering is significantly increased.

KEYWORDS::

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Contrast-sensitivity function
• Retinal-image quality
• Scattering
• Visual performance

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank David Nesbitt for translating the text into English. This research was supported by the ONCE Foundation (Spain), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) grant FIS 2006-01369 and Junta de Andalucía (Spain) grant P06-FQM-01359.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.