Investigation of the relationship between macular pigment levels and rod-mediated dark adaptation in intermediate age-related macular degeneration.

Background: It has been shown that rod-mediated dark adaptation is significantly delayed in ageing, a change which is exacerbated in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, the two main constituents of macular pigment have been found in rod outer segments, indicating that the macular pigment may have an influence on rod-mediated dark adaptation. The aim of this study was to determine if rod-mediated dark adaptation is associated with central macular pigment levels in individuals with intermediate stage AMD.

Color discrimination in individuals with light and dark irides: an evaluation of the effects of intraocular straylight and retinal illumination.

To investigate the effect of induced intraocular straylight on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test performance in individuals with light and dark irides, 28 young subjects were tested both with and without a quantified light-scattering filter. The filter produced a significant increase in the total error scores (p<0.05), but no significant correlation was found between the level of straylight and error score (p>0.

The macular pigment optical density spatial profile and increasing age.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between the central spatial profile of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and increasing age in normal eyes.

Methods: Ninety-eight individuals (aged 19-71 years) with good visual acuity, free from ocular disease, and with clear ocular media participated. MPOD was measured at 0.

Macular pigment levels do not influence C-Quant retinal straylight estimates in young Caucasians.

Background: Individuals with higher than normal levels of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) are less affected by disability glare, when using glare source lights with a strong short-wavelength component. The aim of this study was to investigate whether estimates of retinal straylight from the Oculus Cataract Quantifier (C-Quant), which corresponds to disability glare, are associated with estimates of macular pigment levels in young Caucasian eyes.

Methods: Thirty-seven Caucasian individuals (aged 19 to 40 years) with good visual acuity, free from ocular disease and with clear ocular media participated.

The relationship between foveal short-wavelength-sensitive visual function and macular pigment optical density in the ageing age.

To investigate the role of macular pigment in preserving foveal short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) visual function in the ageing eye orientation identification acuity was measured in the fovea and at 12° eccentricity (nasal visual field) under SWS-cone isolating conditions in 73 participants (aged 20-71). Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was measured at 0.5° eccentricity from the foveal centre using a heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) based instrument.

The effect of age-related lens yellowing on Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue error score.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of real and simulated age-related changes in crystalline lens yellowing on Farnsworth-Munsell (FM) 100 hue performance.

Methods: FM 100 hue total and partial error scores (PES) were measured in a group of younger (n=10, mean age=22.2+/-2.

How does the short-wavelength-sensitive contrast sensitivity function for detection and resolution change with age in the periphery?

To determine the age-related change in the peripheral short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) grating contrast sensitivity function (CSF), cut-off spatial frequency (acuity) and contrast sensitivity for both a detection and resolution task were measured at 8 degrees eccentricity under conditions of SWS-cone isolation for 51 subjects (19-72 years). The acuity for both the detection and resolution task declined with age, the detection acuity being significantly higher than the resolution acuity at all ages (p<.01).

Severity staging by early features of age-related maculopathy exhibits weak relationships with functional deficits on SWS grating acuity.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) resolution acuity and epidemiologically defined stages of early age-related maculopathy (ARM).

Methods: Subjects consisted of 88 adults aged 51 to 87 years. Psychophysical testing was undertaken in only one eye of each subject (the study eye).

Changes in human short-wavelength-sensitive and achromatic resolution acuity with retinal eccentricity and meridian.

Psychophysical measurements using achromatic grating resolution acuity in peripheral vision show a prominent retinal asymmetry in acuity which is consistent with predicted values based on available estimates of midget ganglion cell density. Recent studies have shown that peripheral grating resolution acuity values for short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) isolating gratings in normal observers are closely related to predicted values based on the underlying small bistratified ganglion cell density. By measuring SWS resolution acuity at different locations across the visual field, we wished to see if any significant acuity asymmetry exists for the short-wavelength system.

Peripheral resolution for achromatic and SWS gratings in early to moderate glaucoma and the implications for selective ganglion cell density loss.

Purpose: To investigate whether there is significant selective reduction in short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) ganglion cell density in early to moderate glaucoma.

Methods: Peripheral achromatic resolution acuity (an indirect measure of the underlying midget ganglion cell density) and peripheral chromatic resolution acuity under conditions of blue cone isolation (an indirect measure of the underlying small bistratified ganglion cell density) were measured at 13 degrees eccentricity in four oblique meridians in 15 eyes (mean age, 64.6 +/- 9.