Purpose To evaluate correlations of macular and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness with frequency‐doubling technology (FDT) perimetry in older healthy subjects. Methods The observational, transversal, and comparative study examined 65 healthy eyes of 33 young subjects (22.0 ± 2.1 years) and 32 older subjects (62.2 ± 3.9 years). All eyes underwent inner and outer macular‐segmentation (Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study macular regions) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness measurements using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (iVue SD‐OCT), and the FDT testing with N‐20 full‐threshold protocol. Results The fovea thickness decreased in the inner retina (p = 0.03), and increased in the outer retina (p = 0.025) in the older group. The inner macular‐segment of the 3 mm zone was thinner (p = 0.002) in the older subjects. The 5 mm zones of inner and outer macular‐segments and pRNFL thickness showed no significant differences with age. The FDT sensitivity was significantly lower in the older group, but the mean of mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) were not significantly different between age groups. PSD values were within the normal limit range (0‐6 dB) in both groups. Only the PSD of FDT showed a significant negative correlation (R = ‐0.387, p = 0.028) with the outer macular‐segment thickness of the peripheral ring in older subjects. Conclusions The FDT pattern standard deviation increased as the outer macular‐segment thickness of peripheral ring decreased in healthy older subjects.

Purpose Impaired mesopic visual acuity (VA) is a risk factor for incident early age‐related macular degeneration 3 years later. However, there is a lack of data on the retina structure‐function relationship in healthy eyes. In this study, the correlations of macular thicknesses with photopic and mesopic VA were analyzed in young and older subjects without retinal disease. Methods Retinal thickness was measured by spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography in one eye of 40 young and 41 older healthy subjects with best corrected VA of 20/20. Macular thicknesses measurements from complete and inner and outer retinal‐segmentation (IRS and ORS) of the central fovea, inner ring, outer ring, and ganglion cell complex were used in analyses. Best‐corrected distance VA was measured using HC and LC logMAR charts under photopic and mesopic (1 cd/m2) luminance conditions. The decrease in mesopic VA when compared to photopic VA (low luminance VA deficit) was registered. Pearson correlation followed by multiple forward stepwise regression analyses were performed in each age group. Results In the older group, the macula was thicker in the ORS of the central fovea and inner ring, and thinner in the IRS of inner ring and outer ring (all, P < 0.01). Mean photopic and mesopic HC‐VA and LC‐VA, and mean HC‐low luminance VA defict were significantly worse in the older group (all, P < 0.01). Significant correlations were detected only in the older group. Multiple regression analysis showed that ORS thickness of inner ring was independent contributor to mesopic LC‐VA (r = 0.40, P = 0.01) and the complete thickness of central fovea was independent contributor to HC‐ and LC‐low luminance VA deficit (r = 0.45, P = 0.003; r = 0.32, P = 0.04