Effects of amblyopia therapy on contrast sensitivity as reflected in the visuogram

A quantitative evaluation of the Cambridge amblyopia treatment on contrast sensitivity was performed for 2 groups, one comprising 11 children with strabismic amblyopia (S) and another of 10 children with combined strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia (S & A). Contrast sensitivity deficits were expressed in dB CSL (Contrast Seeing Level) in relation to normal sensitivity of the same age group and represented in the form of visuograms. Mean contrast sensitivity losses in dB CSL were estimated within the low, medium and high spatial frequency ranges, as well as over the total frequency band. On an average S & A amblyopia was found to affect contrast sensitivity of all spatial frequencies, while S amblyopia affected mainly the higher frequency band, but to a smaller extent. After therapy average contrast sensitivity improved for both S and S & A groups, and reached the same, subnormal levels. The relation between highest resolvable spatial frequency (according to our method) and Snellen acuity was different for the 2 amblyopia groups. No correlation was found between improvements in contrast sensitivity and Snellen acuity, which is why both parameters should be estimated.