Spaeth/Richman Contrast Sensitivity Test

Wills Eye314 enrolled

Overview

The Spaeth-Richman Contrast Sensitivity (SPARCS) test is a new method of assessing contrast sensitivity. The test, another way to measure vision, is performed on any standard computer with internet access. Patients will be tested with SPARCS and with the standard Pelli-Robson contrast test.

Contrast Sensitivity is another way to test vision. It uses black on a white background and minimally decreases the black (grey) until it blends with the white. The least amount of contrast (faint grey) seen translates into amount of vision. This new method of determining contrast sensitivity uses black and white vertical bars and does not require recognizing letters in the alphabet. It tests various areas of the visual field and central vision. The test takes approximately 3 minutes per eye. Pelli-Robson is a commonly used contrast sensitivity test that uses black letters on a white background. The letter size stays the same, only the amount of black changes, becoming greyer, making letters hard to see. The test takes approximately 1 minute per eye. Hypothesis: A method of determining contrast sensitivity that does not require letter recognition (as does the Pelli-Robson test) eliminates the barriers of literacy and pattern recognition, to permit a more valid determination of contrast sensitivity. Patients will perform SPARCS and Pelli-Robson twice; once each with two separate observers for reproducibility and intra-observer reliability. The order of testing will be randomized to SPARCS, Pelli, Pelli, SPARCS or Pelli, SPARCS, SPARCS, Pelli.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

314

Conditions

Glaucoma

Interventions

Spaeth/Richman Contrast Sensitivity TestDIAGNOSTIC_TEST

internet based computerized contrast sensitivity test measuring central and peripheral vision using black and white stripes that decrease in contrast by fading to a white background.

Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity ChartDIAGNOSTIC_TEST

wall chart contrast sensitivity test measuring central vision using black letters that decrease in contrast by fading to a white background.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 18 yrs of age and older * able to provide fully informed consent 70 controls (patients with no ocular disease affecting visual acuity or visual function), 10 from each decade of life: 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80+. 105 patients with ocular hypertension or any type of glaucoma (15 subjects per age decade). Glaucoma patients will not have macular degeneration or visual acuity affected by any function other than glaucoma. 40 patients with macular degeneration: 10 with visual acuity 20/40 or better, 10 with visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/60, 10between 20/100 and 20/400, and 10 with 20/400 or worse. 40 patients with cataracts: 10 with lens opacity 1+nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 2 + nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 3 + nuclear sclerosis, 10 with 4 + nuclear sclerosis. 60 patients with refractive error: 10 with myopia -5 diopters or greater, 10 with myopia between -5 and -2.5, 10 with myopia between -2.5 and -0.5, 10 with myopia between -0.5 and 0.5, 10 with myopia between 0.5 and 2.5, and 10 with myopia \> 2.5. Exclusion Criteria: * any other diseases affecting visual acuity

Locations (1)

Wills Eye Institute

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Contrast Sensitivity, Another Means of Testing Vision

Contrast Sensitivity, a vision measurement, is performed with the Spaeth Richmond Contrast Sensitivity (SPARCS) test. This is a computerized measurement of vision in the central and peripheral fields using black and white stripes. Black stripes decrease in contrast becoming fainter and harder to see until they blend with the white background. Measurements are assessed in five areas of the visual field . Test results are reported for each area ranging from 0 to 20 (0 means can't see stripes; 20 means sees all stripes). Results from all 5 areas are added making the total SPARCS score range 0 - 100 where 0 means poor vision and 100 means best vision. The test takes an average of 3 minutes per eye. The eye not being tested is covered with a patch.

Time frame: duration of 1 eye exam, approximately 1 hour

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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