title: Visual sensitivity and age-related eye diseases. The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relationships between visual sensitivity and age-related ocular disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence survey of age-related eye diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total community sample of persons 43-84 at the time of the census (1987-1988) was invited to participate (n = 5.926).
  
  
  METHODS
  Visual sensitivity was measured by a perimeter. Sensitivities were evaluated with regard to age, sex and age-related eye diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sensitivity was inversely associated with age and was lower in women in each age stratum. Central cataract, cataract surgery, and late age-related maculopathy were significantly related to decreased sensitivity in multivariate analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual sensitivity, an indication of the ability of the eye to detect a light stimulus, was diminished in those with central cataract, cataract surgery, and late age-related maculopathy. This may be related to diminished vision in environmental conditions of low illumination. Since visual sensitivity is relative easy to determine, this test may have use as a surrogate to assess functional vision loss. Also, although cataract surgery often leads to improved high contrast acuity, there may be a loss in low contrast settings.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Ophthalmol. & Visual Sci., Univ. of Wisconsin Med. Sch., Madison, USA.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology