Glare and age: Acquisition of a clinical data base for aircrew standards.

Abstract

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