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Monocular chromatic contrast threshold and achromatic contrast sensitivity in children born prematurely

Timothy L Jackson1, Gek L Ong, Morag A McIndoe

  • 1The Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom. timljackson@hotmail.com

American Journal of Ophthalmology
|October 1, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Premature birth did not affect children's color vision or contrast sensitivity. This study found similar chromatic contrast thresholds and achromatic contrast sensitivity in children born prematurely compared to full-term controls.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Visual Psychophysics

Background:

  • Previous research indicates prematurity may negatively impact visual functions.
  • Assessing visual development in premature infants is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of prematurity on monocular chromatic contrast thresholds (CCT) and achromatic contrast sensitivity (ACS).

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study compared 59 children born preterm (<33 weeks gestation) with 68 full-term controls.
  • Monocular CCT and ACS were measured using a computerized psychophysical test with sinusoidal gratings.
  • Testing included red-green and tritan axes for CCT and five spatial frequencies for ACS.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in red-green or tritan CCT between preterm and full-term children.
  • Achromatic contrast sensitivity (ACS) was also similar across all tested spatial frequencies.

Conclusions:

  • Contrary to previous findings, this study suggests prematurity does not adversely affect CCT or ACS.
  • Advanced psychophysical testing minimized errors, yielding unexpected results regarding visual development in preterm individuals.
Abstract

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