Contrast sensitivity in 10 year old preterm and full term children: a population based study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Visual Neuroscience

Background:

• Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affects premature infants, potentially impacting long-term visual development.
• Contrast sensitivity (CS) is a crucial aspect of visual function, assessing the ability to discern subtle differences in luminance.
• Understanding visual outcomes in prematurely born children is essential for early intervention and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare contrast sensitivity (CS) in 10-year-old children born prematurely versus those born at full term.
• To investigate the relationship between prematurity, ROP history, and CS at various spatial frequencies.
• To assess CS in a population-based cohort previously studied for ROP incidence.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 205 prematurely born children and 215 full-term controls were assessed.
• Monocular contrast sensitivity was measured using the Vistech 6500 test.
• Testing was conducted at five distinct spatial frequencies ranging from 1.5 to 18 cycles per degree.

Main Results:

• Prematurely born children demonstrated significantly lower CS across all tested spatial frequencies compared to full-term controls.
• Logarithmic CS differences ranged from 0.03 at 1.5 cycles/deg to 0.19 at 18 cycles/deg.
• Lower CS persisted even after excluding children with ROP or neurological disorders; cryotherapy treatment was associated with the lowest CS.

Conclusions:

• Ten-year-old prematurely born children exhibit reduced contrast sensitivity compared to their full-term peers.
• The clinical significance of this reduced CS on daily visual functioning remains to be determined.
• Further research is needed to explore the functional implications of diminished CS in this population.