Glare Susceptibility as a Function of Age: Initial Results

Abstract

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.

Using relative visual performance to predict performance of an interpersonal evaluation task with variation in adaptation luminance, observer age, skin tone, pavement reflection and interpersonal distance

“…Increasing age is associated with impaired visual acuity, for near and distant targets, reduced contrast sensitivity and reduced ability to discriminate colours: this impairment tends to start from the age of about 60 years. 18,19 Age profiles in past studies can be allocated into one of three groups: only young observers, which therefore exclude the elderly 8,14,20,21 ; a broad range of ages, which better represents society, but does not enable any effect of age to be revealed 3,6,9,15,22,23 ; and separated older and younger age groups, which allow the effect of an age difference to be tested. 7,10,13,24 Definitions of younger and older observers are not consistent between these studies and inclusion of observers aged 60 years or more is rare.…”