2. Visual acuity
Visual acuity is a measure of the spatial resolution of the
eye or, in other words, an estimation of its ability to
discriminate between two points.
If two objects are so close that two adjacent cones are
stimulated, the patient would appreciate them as a single
target. Therefore, there must be an unstimulated cone
between stimulated ones to allow for the resolution of two
targets or edges.
In real sense acuity of vision is a retinal function (to be
more precise of the macular area) concerned with the
appreciation of form sense.
Distant and near visual acuity should be tested separately.
3. The measurement of VA is done to
monitor change in vision with
progression of disease and/or
treatment plan.
Visual acuity is dependent on:
The refractive error of the eye
The health and the integrity of the eye
The test targets used
The test conditions
4. Distant visual acuity
The distant central visual acuity is usually tested by Snellen’s
test types.
PRINCIPLE
The fact that two distant points can be visible as separate
only when they subtend an angle of 1 minute at the nodal
point of the eye, forms the basis of Snellen’s test-types.
It consists of a series of black capital letters on a white board,
arranged in lines, each progressively diminishing in size. The
lines comprising the letters have such a breadth that they will
subtend an angle of 1 min at the nodal point.
Each letter of the chart is so designed that it fits in a square,
the sides of which are five times the breadth of the
constituent lines. Thus, at the given distance, each letter
subtends an angle of 5 min at the nodal point of the eye.
7. The letters of the top line of Snellen’s chart should be read clearly at a
distance of 60 m. Similarly, the letters in the subsequent lines should
be read from a distance of 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6, 5 and 4m, respectively.
Procedure of testing:
For testing distant visual acuity, the patient is seated at a distance of
6m from the Snellen’s chart, so that the rays of light are practically
parallel and the patient exerts minimal accommodation. The chart
should be properly illuminated (not less than 20 ft candles).
The patient is asked to read the chart with each eye separately and
the visual acuity is recorded as a fraction, the numerator being the
distance of the patient from the letters, and the denominator being
the smallest letters accurately read. When the patient is able to read
up to 6 m line, the visual acuity is recorded as 6/6, which is normal.
8. Similarly, depending upon the smallest line which the patient
can read from the distance of 6 m, his vision is recorded as 6/9,
6/12, 6/18, 6/24, 6/36 and 6/60, respectively. If he cannot see
the top line from 6 m, he is asked to slowly walk towards the
chart till he can read the top line. Depending upon the distance
at which he can read the top line, his vision is recorded as 5/60,
4/60, 3/60, 2/60 and 1/60, respectively.
If the patient is unable to read the top line even from 1 m, he is
asked to count fingers (CF) of the examiner. His vision is
recorded as CF-3’, CF-2’, CF-1’ or CF close to face, depending
upon the distance at which the patient is able to count fingers.
9. When the patient fails to count fingers, the examiner moves his
hand close to the patient’s face. If he can appreciate the hand
movements (HM), visual acuity is recorded as HM positive.
When the patient cannot distinguish the hand movements, he
is taken into the dark room and a light is focused on his eye and
he is asked to say when the light is on and when it is off. If he
succeeds in doing this, V= PL (the examiner notes whether the
patient can perceive light (PL) or not). If yes, vision is recorded
as PL +ve and if not it is recorded as PL –ve.
Also when examiner throws light, he may be able to give some
indication of the four directions from which the light is directed
—up, down, right and left. This is recorded as projection of
light, accurate or inaccurate in each quadrant. If he fails to see
the light the vision is recorded as V=no Projection of light.
10. Minimum angle of resolution
The denominator in Snellen grading is
an indirect measure of the size of the
letters read and the angle they
subtend.
The classic Snellen fraction is the
reciprocal of the minimum angle of
resolution (MAR)
11. LOGMAR SCALE
A notation of visual acuity that has the same
clinically significant difference between each line
and allows easy recording of every letter read is
the log minimum angle of resolution (MAR) scale.
The MAR is arrived at by dividing the denominator
by the distance at which the letters were read, i.e.
the Snellen fraction is inverted and reduced. A
Snellen acuity of 6/12 or 20/40 therefore
corresponds to a MAR of 2 minutes of arc.
Allows for constant geometric progression over
each step.
12. This derivation has been used in the
construction of charts such as the
Bailey-Lovie chart.
15. If the vision is subnormal, the visual acuity
is again determined by asking the patient
to read the letters through a pinhole.
BCVA
To determine the function of the macula in
the best optical conditions,the refraction of
the eye must be determined and the visual
acuity assessed again in the same way with
the correcting glasses in place.
16. Pinhole Visual Acuity
Purpose
To determine if a decrease in vision is correctable
by lenses
PINHOLE EFFECT
17. DENSE CATARACT
The laser interferometer forms a diffraction
pattern of parallel lines on the retina even
through a moderate cataract. The patient is
asked to identify the orientation of progressively
finer lines, to establish the visual acuity likely to
be regained after surgery.
Potential acuity meter
projects a tiny Snellen chart onto the retina
around a lens opacity and the patient is required
to read the alphabets.
18. Young children
Maturation of infant visual function has
been studied by two techniques, the
pattern visual evoked potential and
preferential looking behaviour.
In children younger than 2 years the
VEP test proves more successful .
19. Other tests include the Keeler-Elliot and
Kay picture test, Cardiff acuity cards
and Ffooks symbols,the Teller acuity
test.
Given a choice, an infant prefers to look
at patterned rather than unpatterned
stimuli. The infant's preference may be
quantified by incorporating patterns
which vary in stripe width.
25. E-TEST
With toddlers and slightly older 'verbal' children, simple
pictures constructed on Snellen's principles may be used.
A very effective test is the 'E-test' in which the examiner
holds cards on which the letter E is printed, in various
positions and in various sizes.
If the test is treated as a game, the child standing 6 m
away will readily respond on request by indicating the
direction of the letter with his hand or by holding a
similar card in the same position so long as he sees it.
A similar test is the Landolt C chart.
This is the chart containing a series of broken rings, with
each gap subtending an angle of 1 minute at nodal point at a
given distance.
30. PHOTOSTRESS TEST
The extent of involvement can be assessed clinically by
recording vision before and after exposure to a bright
light or photostress.
The photostress test is performed by covering one eye
and asking the patient to read the smallest possible
line on the near chart. A bright light is shone into the
eye for 15 seconds, following which the patient is
asked to read the same line of print and the recovery
time noted. The test is repeated with the other eye.
In normal people and those with optic nerve disease
there is no significant difference in the time taken for
the two eyes to recover from the photostress.
31. In a subject with macular disease the
recovery time is prolonged.
The test is useful in early macular
disease, particularly central serous
retinopathy, where there may be
minimal deterioration in visual acuity
and yet an easily detectable decrease in
photoreceptor reserve capacity.
32. Visual acuity for near vision
Visual acuity for near Near vision is
tested by asking the patient to read the
near vision chart, kept at a distance of
35 cm in good illumination, with each
eye separately. In near vision charts, a
series of different sizes of printer type
are arranged in increasing order and
marked accordingly.
33. Near Visual Acuity
Testing the VA at close range (usually
40cm)
The purpose is to detect people with
near vision difficulties (e.g., uncorrected
high hyperopia, accommodative
dysfunction)
In patients over 40 years old, the
reduced near visual acuity is one of the
symptoms of presbyopia
34. Commonly used near vision charts are as
follows:
1. Jaeger’s chart. In this chart, prints are
marked from 1 to 7 and accordingly
patient’s acuity is labelled as J1 to J7
depending upon the print he can read.
2. Roman test types. According to this
chart, the near vision is recorded as N5, N8,
N10, N12 and N18 (Printer’s point system).
3. Snellen’s near vision test types.
Editor's Notes
#14:The table on the slide shows visual acuity values for different minimum angles of resolution according to the definition used: Decimal Visual Acuity, Snellen and LogMAR. As can be seen, visual acuity values for decimal and Snellen increase as the minimum angle of resolution decreases. However, in LogMAR notation, the value decreases when the angle is smaller, and can even become negative. The negative values for LogMAR correspond to visual acuity values above 1.