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. 2020 Jan 18;258(4):805–813. doi: 10.1007/s00417-020-04603-0

Table 1.

Studies analyzing the relationship between contrast sensitivity and age in a general population

Study Subjects (age) Parameter analyzed Results
Karatepe et al. 2017 [7] 37 individuals (aged 7–65 years)

CS at 0.5, 1.5, 3.0,

6.0, 12.0, and 24.0 cpd at illumination levels

of 0–30 dB (dB)

Increasing age, small pupil diameter, hyperopia, and photopic conditions were associated with lower contrast sensitivity in healthy individuals
Sia et al. 2013 [8] 472 adults aged 35–80 years CS at 3, 6, 12, and 18 cpd CS decreases with age at all spatial frequencies and is greatest at highest spatial frequencies. Posterior subcapsular cataract causes reduction at all frequencies, while cortical cataract does not. Nuclear cataract decrease CS at intermediate (12 cpd) and high (18 cpd) frequencies
Hohberger et al. 2007 [9] 61 subjects (categorized in age groups < 30 years, 30–39 years, 40–49 years, 50–59 years, > 60 years) CS at 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 18 cpd, under day (85 cd/m2) and night (3.0 cd/m2) conditions, with and without glare

Contrast sensitivity was significantly reduced under night conditions with glare, whereas glare had less influence under daylight illumination. Regression

analyses showed a highly significant influence of age, but the variance of the measurement values is not explained by age alone

Nomura et al. 2003 [10] 2267 subjects (aged 40–79 years) CS at 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 18 cpd The age-related decrease in CS was found at all frequencies, even when adjusted for visual acuity
Nio et al. 2000 [11] 100 subjects (20–69 years of age CS at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 cpd; pupil size 2, 4, and 6 mm; defocus −1 to +2 D At optimal focus, integrated contrast sensitivity and log CS at 8 cpd showed a significant age-related decline. The log CS at 1 cpd was independent of age
Klein et al. 1996 [6] 5926 individuals (43–84 years of age) CS measured with a perimeter in the 25° central field Visual sensitivity was inversely associated with age and was lower in women in each age stratum
Burton et al. 1993 [12] 35 young (aged 17–29 years) and 29 older (aged 60–80 years) subjects CS at 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32 cpd Older adults in good eye health exhibited on average a small loss (0.1–0.2 log unit) in contrast sensitivity across the spatial frequency range tested
Nameda et al. 1989 [13] 19 individuals (aged 24–63 years) CS at 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 cpd Losses at high spatial frequencies up to 40 years of age. After 40 years of age, there were losses at all spatial frequencies
Tulunay-Keesey et al. 1988 [14] 63 adults (13–67 years of age) CS at spatial frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 cpd and temporal frequencies of 0, 1, 5, and 15 Hz Sensitivity for low spatial frequencies modulated at 0 to 15 Hz was not affected by age, but a progressive age-related elevation of threshold was found for combinations of high spatial and temporal frequencies
Crassini et al. 1988 [15] 8 young (average age 20.4 years) and 8 elderly (average age 64.4 years) subjects CS (central an 10 deg temporally) at 0.2, 0.8, 2.0, and 5.0 cpd

Young observers had better contrast sensitivities than older observers but

only at higher spatial frequencies (2.0 and 5.0 cpd)

Sloane et al. 1988 [16] 12 young (19–35 years) and 11 older (68–89 years) subjects CS as a function of target luminance at 0.5, 2, 4, and 8 cpd When gratings were flickered at 0.5 Hz, functions for older adults were displaced downward on the sensitivity axis across all luminance levels, and the slopes of these functions were steeper than those for younger adults, suggesting that optical mechanisms alone cannot account for the vision loss in older adults.
Higgins et al. 1988 [17] 50 subjects in five age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 years) CS at nine spatial frequencies from 0.75 to 16 cpd Decline in sensitivity with age at all spatial frequencies
Elliot 1987 [18] 16 young (mean age 21.5 ± 2.7 years) and 16 older (mean age 72 ± 4.3 years) subjects CS at 1, 2, 4, 10.6, and 16.5 cpd Lower contrast sensitivity at medium (4 cpd) and high (10.6, 16.5 cpd) spatial frequencies in older group
Yates et al. 1987 [19] 103 adults (21–40 years of age) CS at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 cpd The age-related decrease in CS was found only at 16 cpd
Ross et al. 1985 [20] 17 young (aged 20–30 years) and 53 older (aged 50–87 years) subjects CS at 0.4, 0.95, 2.88, 6.73, 12.70, and 19.23 cpd Lower performance in older group compared to younger group at all spatial frequencies In the older group, linear decline in CS with age for medium and high spatial frequencies
Morrison and McGrath 1985 [21] 45 observers (including 4 elderly) CS 8–40 cpd (10–15 different frequencies within this range) With increasing age, CS remained steady until the sixth decade when they declined
Kline et al. 1983 [22] 16 young (18–25 years) and 16 old (55–70 years) subjects CS at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 cpd An age-related loss in contrast sensitivity was observed primarily for stimuli of intermediate and high spatial frequency
Owsley et al. 1983 [23] 91 adults aged 19–87 years CS at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 cpd At higher spatial frequencies. Sensitivity decreased with age around 40 to 50 years
McGrath and Morrison 1981 [24] 66 subjects (5–94 years old) CS at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 25 cpd With advancing age, there was an overall decrease in contrast sensitivity. The loss of CS was greater for middle range spatial frequencies than for higher spatial frequencies
Sekuler et al. 1980 [25] 25 young (mean age 18.5 ± 0.7 years) and 10 old (73.2 + 3.8 years) individuals CS at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 cps flickered at 0.3 or 6 Hz Older and younger observers did not differ in ability to see targets with fine structure (high spatial frequencies); older observers were only one-third as sensitive to targets with coarse structure (low spatial frequencies) as were younger observers. Older observers were also less able than younger observers to see moving targets
Derefeldt et al. 1979 [26] 10 children (aged 6–10 years), 12 adults (aged 20–40 years), 5 adults (aged 40–60 years), 11 adults (aged 60 years or older) CS at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 10, 20, and 40 cpd No significant difference between young- and middle-aged subjects with regard to contrast sensitivity. For higher ages studied (above 60 years), there was a loss of sensitivity in the middle and high frequency regions
Arden & Jacobson 1978 [4] 50 healthy adults aged 17–64 years, 7 eyes with ocular hypertension, 43 eyes with glaucoma CS at 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 cpd The variation in the test results with age in normals is only slight.

cpd cycles per degree, CS contrast sensitivity