Effect of luminance, contrast, and eccentricity on visual acuity in senile macular degeneration

We examined the effect of luminance on low contrast visual acuity in six patients with mild reductions in vision due to senile macular degeneration (SMD) and in six normals of approximately the same age. At the highest luminance tested the SMD patients showed a reduction in acuity compared to the controls, with eccentricity and contrast effects clearly shown. The SMD patients had difficulty performing the acuity task at the lower luminances (0.26 and 0.75 cd/m2); they showed little or no increase in visual acuity with increasing contrast levels at the lower luminances. Acuity was slightly influenced by target eccentricity at these luminances. These data suggest that the adaptation mechanisms allowing the normal visual system to operate efficiently over a wide range of luminances are affected in SMD, even when clinically measured acuity is only moderately depressed.