Spatial and spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity of normal and glaucoma eyes

The spatial contrast sensitivity (CS) to static patterns was tested in the central retina of 156 normal subjects. It showed a decrease above 50 years of age at all spatial frequencies tested which was slightly more pronounced in females than in males. The spatial CS was also studied in 32 glaucoma eyes: Small reductions were found only in the group below 50 but not in eyes of patients above 50. The spatiotemporal CS to phase-reversing patterns was tested in four retinal quadrants of 99 normal subjects. It showed no age dependence in males whereas in females it decreased significantly beyond 50 years at all spatial frequencies tested. The spatiotemporal CS was studied also in 21 glaucoma eyes: Strong losses were again noted only in patients below 50. Spatiotemporal CS losses and perimetric losses were also compared in the four quadrants: For both measures the severest losses were found in the lower nasal and the mildest in the upper temporal quadrant. The spatiotemporal CS test of the peripheral retina seems to be a more powerful tool in glaucoma research than the spatial CS test of the central retina; however, effects of age and gender have to be considered.