Abstract

Most well-controlled studies on aging and spatial contrast sensitivity have found either of two patterns of results: (1) older adults having good ocular health tend to exhibit losses in sensitivity for intermediate and high spatial frequencies; or (2) older adults have no spatial contrast sensitivity deficits, i.e., their sensitivity is indistinguishable from that of young adults. It is not really surprising that these two different patterns of results have emerged from the literature, since studies have used different acuity criteria for including subjects in the test sample. Those studies requiring subjects to have excellent acuity (e.g., 20/20) generally find that old and young adults perform similarly, whereas studies using more lax acuity criteria (e.g., 20/30) typically report an age-associated deficit in higher frequency sensitivity. This paper examines what mechanisms may underlie the decline in spatial contrast sensitivity experienced by many older adults who are otherwise considered to have relatively good eye health. Studies indicate that optical blur, criterion changes, and the increased density of the crystalline lens cannot account for older adults’ decreased contrast sensitivity. Senile miosis (decreased pupil diameter in old age) and neural deterioration in the aged visual system are considered as possible contributing factors to their loss in spatial vision.

© 1986 Optical Society of America