title: Role of high-order aberrations in senescent changes in spatial vision.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA. slelliott@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Stacey S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Doble
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: Julia W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015877:Miosis; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013028:Space Perception; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult