Abstract

Ophthalmolgists and optometrists are sometimes called upon to evaluate the functional status of the visual system in terms of what activities an individual may engage in, in addition to diagnosing the presence of pathology. This may prove a difficult task since there is often a mismatch between sensory loss and the ability to function in the world (i.e. some individuals with dramatic losses seem to function quite well while others, with only minor sensory loss, report great difficulty in visually guided activities). This difficulty may be exacerbated in the older population, where there is a marked increase in the range of functional abilities, and often no clear distinction between aging and early onset of disease.

© 1990 Optical Society of America