title: Measuring contrast sensitivity.
abstract: Contrast sensitivity defines the threshold between the visible and invisible, which has obvious significance for basic and clinical vision science. Fechner's 1860 review reported that threshold contrast is 1% for a remarkably wide range of targets and conditions. While printed charts are still in use, computer testing is becoming more popular because it offers efficient adaptive measurement of threshold for a wide range of stimuli. Both basic and clinical studies usually want to know fundamental visual capability, regardless of the observer's subjective criterion. Criterion effects are minimized by the use of an objective task: multiple-alternative forced-choice detection or identification. Having many alternatives reduces the guessing rate, which makes each trial more informative, so fewer trials are needed. Finally, populations who may experience crowding or target confusion should be tested with one target at a time.
authors: Psychology Department & Center for Neural Science, New York University, USA. denis.pelli@nyu.edu
authors: Denis G
authors: DG
authors: Pelli
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Bex
mesh_terms: D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000379:methods*; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Adaptive threshold estimation; Contrast sensitivity; Fechner; QUEST; Threshold
references: J Physiol. 1968 Aug;197(3):551-66
references: 5666169
references: Arch Ophthalmol. 1988 Jan;106(1):55-7
references: 3337707
references: Opt Express. 2000 Jan 3;6(1):12-33
references: 12238521
references: Percept Psychophys. 1983 Feb;33(2):113-20
references: 6844102
references: Science. 1972 Nov 17;178(4062):769-71
references: 5082844
references: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Sep 30;30(7):1225-30
references: 16644085
references: J Physiol. 1958 Apr 30;141(2):337-50
references: 13539843
references: Drug Saf. 2008;31(2):127-41
references: 18217789
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Jan;46(1):197-201
references: 15623774
references: J Vis. 2006 Nov 10;6(11):1307-22
references: 17209737
references: Vision Res. 1983;23(7):689-99
references: 6613011
references: Drug Discov Today Ther Strateg. 2013 Spring;10(1):e43-e50
references: 32863843
references: Cornea. 1998 Jul;17(4):376-9
references: 9676908
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1978 May;17(5):428-35
references: 640789
references: Vision Res. 2006 Oct;46(19):3160-76
references: 16782167
references: J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 2002 Jun;19(6):1096-106
references: 12049346
references: Ophthalmology. 1983 Oct;90(10):1192-200
references: 6657195
references: Nat Neurosci. 2008 Oct;11(10):1129-35
references: 18828191
references: Percept Psychophys. 2001 Nov;63(8):1314-29
references: 11800459
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010 Oct;51(10):5365-77
references: 20484592
references: Nature. 2003 Jun 12;423(6941):752-6
references: 12802334
references: Curr Eye Res. 1990 Mar;9(3):217-23
references: 2347202
references: Br J Math Stat Psychol. 1965 May;18:1-10
references: 14324842
references: Vision Res. 1994 Apr;34(7):885-912
references: 8160402
references: J Opt Soc Am A. 1993 Jul;10(7):1591-9
references: 8350148
references: Seeing Perceiving. 2010;23(5-6):483-515
references: 21466137
references: Ophthalmology. 1997 Oct;104(10):1677-91
references: 9331210
references: J Opt Soc Am. 1952 Sep;42(9):606-16
references: 13000567
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Nov 05;54(12):7266-73
references: 24114545
references: Br J Physiol Opt. 1979;33(2):10-20
references: 554724
references: Vision Res. 1997 Dec;37(23):3385-98
references: 9425551
references: J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 1999 Mar;16(3):647-53
references: 10069051
references: Brain. 1981 Jun;104(2):333-50
references: 7237098
references: Biomed Opt Express. 2013 Feb 1;4(2):220-9
references: 23413236
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Jul;48(7):3419-24
references: 17591917
references: Vision Res. 1974 Jan;14(1):75-81
references: 4204839
references: J Physiol. 1975 Jun;247(3):687-710
references: 1142303
references: Optom Vis Sci. 1989 Jul;66(7):467-73
references: 2771334
references: Vision Res. 2006 Dec;46(28):4646-74
references: 16808957
references: Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1984;82:792-826
references: 6398938
references: Percept Psychophys. 2001 Nov;63(8):1293-313
references: 11800458
references: Percept Psychophys. 2001 Nov;63(8):1279-92
references: 11800457
references: PLoS One. 2013 May 29;8(5):e64803
references: 23734220
references: Ophthalmol Clin North Am. 2003 Jun;16(2):171-7
references: 12809156
references: Drugs. 2007;67(1):75-93
references: 17209665
references: Vision Res. 1999 Aug;39(16):2729-37
references: 10492833
references: Vision Res. 2008 Feb;48(5):635-54
references: 18226828
references: J Vis. 2005 Oct 26;5(9):717-40
references: 16356081
references: Adv Neurol. 1987;45:323-7
references: 3103388
references: Br J Ophthalmol. 1982 Aug;66(8):477-91
references: 7104264
references: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1986 Jul;27(7):1131-6
references: 3721791
references: Vision Res. 1995 Sep;35(17):2503-22
references: 8594817