[Correlation of the grade of nuclear and cortical cataract, visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity]

A correlative investigation of 125 eyes with senile cataractous lenses was conducted to determine the relationships between cortical (CC) and nuclear cataracts (NC), corrected visual acuity (VA), and contrast sensitivity (CS). The CS for the spatial frequency of 1.5 cycles/degree (c/d) and 12.0 c/d was analyzed in particular detail. The results were as follows: (1) CC and CS for both 1.5 and 12.0 c/d showed statistically significant negative correlations with a coefficient (CE) of -0.250 and -0.288 respectively. No correlation was found between CC and VA. (2) NC and VA showed a significant negative correlation with CE of -2.29. No correlation was found between NC and CS for at 1.5 and 12.0 c/d. (3) VA and CS showed a significant positive correlation with a CE of +0.436 at 1.5 c/d and +0.270 at 12.0 c/d. The CS at 1.5 and the CS at 12.0 c/d also showed a significant negative correlation with a CE of +0.477. (4) NC and CC showed a significantly negative correlation (r = -0.224, p < 0.01), suggesting that scattered light from the nucleus may be interfered with by cortical opacities during slitlamp examinations. (5) In 29 cases of no cortical opacity, nuclear opacity showed significant negative correlation with VA (r = 0.556 p < 0.01) but no significant correlation with CS of both 1.5 and 12 c/d. (6) In 30 cases with less than 0.085 of nuclear opacity, cortical opacity showed significant negative correlation with CS at 12.0 c/d (r = 0.364 p < 0.01) but showed no significant correlation with VA and CS at 1.5 c/d.