RT Journal Article
A1 Elliott, Sarah L.
A1 Choi, Stacey S.
A1 Doble, Nathan
A1 Hardy, Joseph L.
A1 Evans, Julia W.
A1 Werner, John S.
T1 Role of high-order aberrations in senescent changes in spatial vision
JF Journal of Vision
JO Journal of Vision
YR 2009
DO 10.1167/9.2.24
VO 9
IS 2
SP 24
OP 24
SN 1534-7362
AB  The contributions of optical and neural factors to age-related losses in spatial vision are not fully understood. We used closed-loop adaptive optics to test the visual benefit of correcting monochromatic high-order aberrations (HOAs) on spatial vision for observers ranging in age from 18 to 81 years. Contrast sensitivity was measured monocularly using a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) procedure for sinusoidal gratings over 6 mm and 3 mm pupil diameters. Visual acuity was measured using a spatial 4AFC procedure. Over a 6 mm pupil, young observers showed a large benefit of AO at high spatial frequencies, whereas older observers exhibited the greatest benefit at middle spatial frequencies, plus a significantly larger increase in visual acuity. When age-related miosis is controlled, young and old observers exhibited a similar benefit of AO for spatial vision. An increase in HOAs cannot account for the complete senescent decline in spatial vision. These results may indicate a larger role of additional optical factors when the impact of HOAs is removed, but also lend support for the importance of neural factors in age-related changes in spatial vision. 
RD 6/6/2020
UL https://doi.org/10.1167/9.2.24