Increasing the RMS error within any single mode of the normalized Zernike expansion decreases visual acuity in a linear fashion. The slope of the best fitting linear equation varies with Zernike mode. Slopes near the center of the Zernike pyramid are steeper than those near the edge. Although the normalized Zernike expansion parcels RMS error orthogonally, the resulting effects on visual performance as measured by visual acuity are not orthogonal. New metrics of the combined effects of the optical and the neural transfer functions that are predictive of visual performance need to be developed.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a new antifungal drug, micafungin, and standard antifungal drugs against endophthalmitis induced in a rabbit by intravitreal injection of Aspergillus fumigatus, an important fungal pathogen. Effectiveness was evaluated by the preservation of b-wave amplitude at 72 h after injection of the fungus relative to the b-wave amplitude at baseline before any intravitreal injections. A 0.06 ml inoculum of 10(6) conidia of A. fumigatus was injected into the vitreous of the right eye of all rabbits; and, 12 h later, a 0.06 ml solution containing one of 3 antifungal drugs or saline was injected into the vitreous of both eyes. All three antifungal drugs produced significant b-wave preservation at 72 h in infected eyes compared to that in infected eyes receiving saline injections. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of micafungin and amphotericin B in the right eyes with fungal endophthalmitis, and both produced significantly more preservation of b-wave amplitude than voriconazole. Amphotericin B, but neither micafungin nor voriconazole produced significant reduction of the b-wave amplitude in the left eyes.

Spatial contrast sensitivity and disability glare were measured in a large sample (n = 90,30 per decade) of middle-aged subjects, aged 21-50 years, who had clear media and were ophthalmologically normal. We found no significant differences in the contrast sensitivities as a function of age in the middle years for (1) gratings generated on a monitor; (2) interference gratings generated in the retinal plane; (3) gratings in the presence of glare; and (4) mesopic increment thresholds with and without glare. The large sample size provides sufficient statistical power (0.8) for one to conclude that contrast sensitivity, optical quality, and foveal neural sensitivity are unlikely to vary more than 0.1 log unit between the ages of 21 and 50 in ophthalmologically normal subjects with clear media.

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There is a decrease in sensitivity to high spatial frequencies with aging which becomes significant above age 50(1). Repeating this study with a greater number of subjects, we have found a small but significant difference between subjects aged 20-30 and those 31-40(2). One possible explanation of the loss of sensitivity in this relatively young population is a gradual increase in the light scattering properties of the ocular media increasing disability glare(3). The purpose of this ongoing study is to test the hypothesis that the effect of disability glare on contrast sensitivity increases with age.

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The trend towards a significant age-related decline in contrast sensitivity that we demonstrated in subjects aged 21 to 50 in previous studies prompted a replication with a large sample size and an investigation of scattered light, measured indirectly by disability glare, as a function of age. 1) We were unable to confirm the age-related decline of contrast sensitivity in the age range 21 to 50 with a large sample size, 30, in each decade. Contrast sensitivity to neither externally generated nor interference gratings changed significantly with age. 2) The high spatial frequency cutoff derived from the contrast sensitivity to 12, 16, nd 20 cycle per degree gratings did not vary as a function of age. This is consistent with the fact that we selected only those subjects with 20/20 or better visual acuity. 3) Consistent with the lack of declining contrast sensitivity over this age range was the lack of a significant age-related increase in susceptibility to disability glare as measured by sensitivity to 4 and 12 cycles per degree gratings without and with glare. The interaction between age and Elare condition was not statistically-14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 45-Contrast Sensitivity, Glare, Age 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20 LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT