[Changes in light sensitivity of the visual system with age and in patients with ischemic optic neuropathy]

To evaluate contrast-color sensitivity (CCS) of central vision, contrast-frequency sensitivity (CFS) and dynamic visual acuity (DVA) in healthy people and patients with ischemic optic neuropathy (ION).

The study was performed for 115 eyes with normal static visual acuity (1.0) in 111 healthy people; 25 patients (39 eyes) with acute anterior ION and 26 patients (26 eyes) with chronic ION. Assessment of static visual acuity and refraction as well as ophthalmoscopy of the eye fundus were performed.

Based on the data analysis of CFS, DVA and photometry of CCS, the quantitative estimation of age-related changing in light sensitivity and changing sensitivity of ill and healthy eyes of patients with acute and chronic ION has been carried out. The differences between changing of these functional parameters are used for discussion of the role of age-related changes of visual system hemodynamics in decreasing of light sensitivity. The possibility of usig the data of light sensitivity decreasing in the early diagnostics of visual system ischemic impairment is discussed.