Night vision testing in unoperated eyes.
BACKGROUND
We previously described a simple test which evaluates image degradation in post-excimer laser (PRK) patients under scotopic conditions. After refractive surgery, corneal haze, ablation zone decentration, ablation zone/pupillary diameter disparity, and under-correction each result in a characteristic pattern on the Night Vision Recording Chart.


METHODS
Using the same method, further studies evaluated night vision image degradation in 118 un-operated emmetropic, myopic, hyperopic, and astigmatic eyes and in 26 contact lens wearers.


RESULTS
Scotopic image degradation increases with myopic refractive error, image displacement increases with astigmatism, and contact lens wearers have more image degradation that with spectacle correction.


CONCLUSIONS
Our Night Vision Recording Chart offers a simple, reproducible method to characterize image degradation under scotopic conditions.
Florakis
G J
GJ
Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Jewelewicz
D A
DA
Fan
N I
NI
Trokel
S L
SL
D003261:Contact Lenses; D006801:Humans; D009755:Night Blindness / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014787:Vision Tests; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology