Age-related changes of the normal visual field

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Gerontology

Background:

• Age-related changes in visual function are common.
• Understanding visual field changes with aging is crucial for diagnosing and managing visual impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively investigate age-related changes in visual fields.
• To quantify the decline in visual field characteristics with increasing age.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 25 normal patients.
• Visual fields were assessed using the OCTOPUS automated perimeter (Program 32).
• Mean threshold sensitivity, volume, and surface area of the visual field were calculated.

Main Results:

• A linear decline with age was observed for threshold sensitivity, volume, and surface area.
• The decline in threshold sensitivity and its standard error increased with eccentricity from fixation.
• Sensitivity decreased approximately twice as rapidly at 30 degrees eccentricity compared to fixation.

Conclusions:

• Visual field sensitivity exhibits a significant age-related linear decline.
• This decline is more pronounced at increasing eccentricities, suggesting potential loss of photoreceptors and ganglion cells.
• Age-related visual field changes may impact overall visual function.