Spaeth/Richman Contrast Sensitivity Test

Contrast Sensitivity is another way to test vision. It uses black on a white background and
minimally decreases the black (grey) until it blends with the white. The least amount of
contrast (faint grey) seen translates into amount of vision. This new method of determining
contrast sensitivity uses black and white vertical bars and does not require recognizing
letters in the alphabet. It tests various areas of the visual field and central vision. The
test takes approximately 3 minutes per eye.

Pelli-Robson is a commonly used contrast sensitivity test that uses black letters on a white
background. The letter size stays the same, only the amount of black changes, becoming
greyer, making letters hard to see. The test takes approximately 1 minute per eye.

Hypothesis: A method of determining contrast sensitivity that does not require letter
recognition (as does the Pelli-Robson test) eliminates the barriers of literacy and pattern
recognition, to permit a more valid determination of contrast sensitivity.

Patients will perform SPARCS and Pelli-Robson twice; once each with two separate observers
for reproducibility and intra-observer reliability. The order of testing will be randomized
to SPARCS, Pelli, Pelli, SPARCS or Pelli, SPARCS, SPARCS, Pelli.

Inclusion Criteria:

- 18 yrs of age and older

- able to provide fully informed consent

70 controls (patients with no ocular disease affecting visual acuity or visual
function), 10 from each decade of life: 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80+.

105 patients with ocular hypertension or any type of glaucoma (15 subjects per age
decade). Glaucoma patients will not have macular degeneration or visual acuity
affected by any function other than glaucoma.

40 patients with macular degeneration: 10 with visual acuity 20/40 or better, 10 with
visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/60, 10between 20/100 and 20/400, and 10 with 20/400
or worse.

40 patients with cataracts: 10 with lens opacity 1+nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 2 +
nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 3 + nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 4 + nuclear sclerosis.

60 patients with refractive error: 10 with myopia -5 diopters or greater, 10 with
myopia between -5 and -2.5, 10 with myopia between -2.5 and -0.5, 10 with myopia
between -0.5 and 0.5, 10 with myopia between 0.5 and 2.5, and 10 with myopia > 2.5.

Exclusion Criteria:

- any other diseases affecting visual acuity