%0 Journal Article
%A Elliott, Sarah L.
%A Choi, Stacey S.
%A Doble, Nathan
%A Hardy, Joseph L.
%A Evans, Julia W.
%A Werner, John S.
%T Role of high-order aberrations in senescent changes in spatial vision
%B Journal of Vision
%D 2009
%R 10.1167/9.2.24
%J Journal of Vision
%V 9
%N 2
%P 24-24
%@ 1534-7362
%X  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. 
%[ 3/9/2021
%U https://doi.org/10.1167/9.2.24