Improved contrast sensitivity with antireflective coated lenses in the presence of glare

Contrast sensitivity was measured to quantify the glare-reducing effects of antireflective coatings of magnesium fluoride on spectacle lenses. Experiments were conducted on four subjects, who judged contrast thresholds while wearing corrective spectacles with noncoated and then coated lenses in both the absence and the presence of a source of glare (back-scattered reflection from the posterior surface of their lenses). Glare substantially reduced contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies; although the reduction was greater at higher spatial frequencies ther was no shift in peak contrast sensitivity. The coated lenses enhanced contrast sensitivity in the presence of glare between 1.5 and 5 times compared with the noncoated lenses. In the absence of glare, contrast sensitivity was greater with coated lenses than with noncoated lenses.