Volume 7, Number 8, Article 14, Pages 1-14 doi:10.1167/7.8.14 http://journalofvision.org/7/8/14/ ISSN 1534-7362
Visual performance in emmetropia and low myopia after correction of high-order aberrations
Ethan A. Rossi
School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Pinky Weiser
School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Janice Tarrant
School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Austin Roorda
School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Abstract

Myopic observers may not benefit to the same extent as emmetropes from adaptive optics (AO) correction in a visual acuity (VA) task. To investigate this, we measured AO-corrected VA in 10 low myopes and 9 emmetropes. Subjects were grouped by refractive error. Mean spherical equivalent refractive error was −2.73 D (SEM = 0.35) for the myopes and 0.04 D (SEM = 0.1) for the emmetropes. All subjects had best corrected VA of 20/20 or better. The AO scanning laser ophthalmoscope was used to project ultrasharp stimuli onto the retina of each observer. High-contrast photopic acuity was measured using a tumbling E test with and without AO correction. AO-corrected minimum angle of resolution was 0.61′ (SEM = 0.02′) for the myopes and 0.49′ (SEM = 0.03′) for the emmetropes. The difference between groups is significant (p = .0017). This effect is even greater (p = .00013) when accounting for spectacle magnification and axial length, with myopes and emmetropes able to resolve critical features on the retina with a mean size of 2.87 μm (SEM = 0.07) and 2.25 μm (SEM = 0.1), respectively. Emmetropes and low myopes will both benefit from AO correction in a VA task but not to the same extent. Optical aberrations do not limit VA in low myopia after AO correction. There is no difference in the high-order aberrations of emmetropes and low myopes. Retinal and/or cortical factors limit VA in low myopes after AO correction.

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History
Received February 27, 2007; published June 27, 2007
Citation
Rossi, E. A., Weiser, P., Tarrant, J., & Roorda, A. (2007). Visual performance in emmetropia and low myopia after correction of high-order aberrations. Journal of Vision, 7(8):14, 1-14, http://journalofvision.org/7/8/14/, doi:10.1167/7.8.14.
Keywords
visual acuity, myopia, aberrations, adaptive optics, spatial vision
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