Effect of optical correction and remaining aberrations on peripheral resolution acuity in the human eye

Abstract

Retinal sampling poses a fundamental limit to resolution acuity in the periphery. However, reduced image quality from optical aberrations may also influence peripheral resolution. In this study, we investigate the impact of different degrees of optical correction on acuity in the periphery. We used an adaptive optics system to measure and modify the off-axis aberrations of the right eye of six normal subjects at 20 degrees eccentricity. The system consists of a Hartmann-Shack sensor, a deformable mirror, and a channel for visual testing. Four different optical corrections were tested, ranging from foveal sphero-cylindrical correction to full correction of eccentric low- and high-order monochromatic aberrations. High-contrast visual acuity was measured in green light using a forced choice procedure with Landolt C's, viewed via the deformable mirror through a 4.8-mm artificial pupil. The Zernike terms mainly induced by eccentricity were defocus and with- and against-the-rule astigmatism and each correction condition was successfully implemented. On average, resolution decimal visual acuity improved from 0.057 to 0.061 as the total root-mean-square wavefront error changed from 1.01 mum to 0.05 mum. However, this small tendency of improvement in visual acuity with correction was not significant. The results suggest that for our experimental conditions and subjects, the resolution acuity in the periphery cannot be improved with optical correction.

Symmetries in peripheral ocular aberrations

“…Information on these peripheral aberrations is of interest for research on, for example, the effect of optical errors on peripheral vision [8][9][10][11], improving vision for people with central vision field loss [12,13], and eye modeling with individual data retrieved from ocular wavefront tomography [14,15]. Furthermore, the interest in measurements of peripheral refractive errors has increased, due to their possible link to myopia [16][17][18].…”

Image Formation in the Living Human Eye

“…One study (Lundström et al 2007) has shown that in the periphery, the optics of the eye do not limit grating resolution. Or, equivalently, visual acuity in the periphery could not be improved with optical corrections.…”

Imaging Single Cells in the Living Retina

“…Artal et al, 2010; Atchison et al, 2009a Atchison et al, , 2009bde Gracia et al, 2010;Elliott et al, 2009;Gupta et al, 2010;Lundstrom et al, 2007;Marcos et al, 2008;Perez et al, 2009;Rocha et al, 2007Rocha et al, , 2010Rossi and Roorda, 2010;Rossi et al, 2007;Rouger et al, 2009;Sawides et al, 2010;Williams et al, 2000;Yoon & Williams, 2002). Adaptive optics can be used to study visual performance by generating specific novel aberration patterns in the eye (e.g.…”