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Biomedical subjects

A J Adams

Publications and source records attributed to A J Adams.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Perceptual ambiguity and the short wavelength sensitive visual pathway.

Visual illusions and ambiguous figures are difficult to perceive when presented in a manner which stimulates only chromatic pathways. This perceptual limitation could indicate that these pathways are unable to mediate form perception, or it may reflect the relative visibility of the stimulus, regardless of the pathway utilized. To examine this issue, an ambiguous figure (illusory Necker cube) was presented to the short wavelength sensitive (S) cone pathway which is thought to convey only chromatic signals. Although few observers could recognize the cube when presented in isolation to S cones, the same reduction in recognition was found when the cube was detected by achromatic pathways at a level of visibility comparable to that conveyed by S cones. Our results indicate that for this object recognition task, visibility of the stimulus is the relevant variable, rather than the particular pathway traversed. Prior experience was also found to be important determinant of object recognition.

Color Perception↗
PubMed1992

Lightness induction in the S-cone pathway.

Lightness induction is classically regarded as a contrast phenomenon limited to pathways which process luminance information. To determine if lightness induction can also occur in the chromatic domain, this phenomenon was studied with stimuli visible only to the short wavelength sensitive (S)-cones which have post-receptoral connections limited to chromatic pathways. The lightness of an object visible only to S-cones was found to be dependent on the relative intensity of its background in a manner similar to achromatic, luminance stimuli. Less intense (dark) backgrounds made the object appear lighter, while more intense (light) backgrounds made the same object appear darker. These results indicate a commonality among lightness induction effect in the processing of chromatic and luminance information.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1992

Cortical potentials evoked by short wavelength patterned light.

Pattern-evoked cortical potentials (PECPs) were recorded in response to the onset of blue and black, square wave gratings superimposed on a bright orange background. Several lines of evidence, including spectral sensitivity and the absence of response in a tritanopic subject, indicate that the measured cortical potentials reflect input from S cones. Spatial and temporal tuning of this response are comparable to psychophysical measures of the S-pathway. In agreement with previous studies of achromatic and chromatic spatial processing, a comparison of the response to patterns of different complexity indicates that spatial processing in the S-pathway can be described by linear systems analysis. An oblique effect for the S-pathway is demonstrated. Additional findings which bear on the nature of postreceptoral processing in the S-pathway are considered. Included are measurements from a patient with diabetic retinopathy. This study underscores the potential importance of the S-pathway for spatial information processing.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A video technique for phakometry of the human crystalline lens.

Accurate measurement of the dioptric power of the human crystalline lens is important in any study of ocular development and refractive error. Previous studies have used comparison ophthalmophakometry, measuring crystalline lens curvature and power from still flash photographs of Purkinje images I, III, and IV. This report presents a video-based technique for in vivo measurement of crystalline lens power suitable for use with children. The repeatability and validity of this video system were evaluated in comparison to a still photograph system through the measurement of anterior and posterior lens curvatures of 40 normal adults. The video system's repeatability (95% limits of agreement) was +/- 0.52 diopters for the anterior lens power, +/- 0.73 D for the posterior lens power, and +/- 0.88 D for the total lens power. The repeatability of the still flash photography system was +/- 0.78 D for the anterior, +/- 1.43 D for the posterior, and +/- 1.84 D for the lens power as a whole. An indirect method of calculating lens power using other ocular component measures gave a repeatability of +/- 1.78 D. The validity of the video system was improved by having the camera and the light source closer to the optic axis of the eye. The bias induced by having a more off-axis configuration (40 degrees separation between camera and light source) was a +0.10 D overestimation of surface power for the anterior and +0.73 D for the posterior lens surface power compared to a more coaxial arrangement (20 degrees between camera and light source). The use of video phakometry improved the repeatability and the validity of lens curvature measures relative to still flash photograph comparison ophthalmophakometry and to an indirect method of calculating lens power. This was achieved through the system's ability to analyze multiple frames, the use of a collimated light source, and the placement of the light source for the Purkinje images closer to the eye's optic axis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The repeatability of measurement of the ocular components.

Studies of the ocular components of refraction typically neglect issues of repeatability of measurement methods or analyze method comparison/repeatability data inappropriately using correlation. The authors have examined the repeatability of refractive error measures (retinoscopy, subjective refraction, and Canon R-1 autorefraction, noncycloplegic and cycloplegic), axial dimension measures (Allergan-Humphrey A-scan ultrasound), and corneoscopy (keratometry and KERA photokeratoscopy), and the agreement between different refractive error and corneal measurement methods on 40 pre-presbyopic normal adults. The authors plotted the difference versus the mean of two different measurement occasions (repeatability), or two different methods (agreement), to determine the bias (mean of the differences relative to zero) and 95% limits of agreement of each technique. The most reliable measure of refractive error was autorefraction with cycloplegia, with 95% limits of agreement of +/- 0.32 diopters. Cycloplegic autorefraction had no statistically significant bias compared to cycloplegic subjective refraction. Cycloplegic retinoscopy was the least reliable refractive error measure, with repeat measures on two separate occasions extending over 95% limits of agreement of +/- 0.95 D. Anterior chamber depth was reliable to +/- 0.29 mm, lens thickness to +/- 0.20 mm, and vitreous chamber depth to +/- 0.37 mm. Corneal curvature measures show keratometry to be more reliable (to +/- 0.87 D) than photokeratoscopy (+/- 2.02 D) with a statistically significant bias (paired t-test, P less than 0.0001) of 0.57 D flatter for photokeratoscopy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

LWS cone effects on rod threshold and saturation in achromats with residual cone function.

Rod saturation on flashed and steady red backgrounds was investigated in normals and three achromats, two of whom were found to have some residual cone function. LWS cones selectively reduce the background level at which rod saturation occurs and elevate rod thresholds at flashed background levels well below saturation. Both of these LWS cone actions are also present in eyes with greatly reduced LWS cone function. In normal eyes LWS cones also elevate rod thresholds on steady backgrounds. We thus conclude that LWS cones influence rods through different mechanisms under transient (flashed) and steady-state background stimulation and that the increase in rod visual sensitivity observed during prolonged presentation of a background is due to a time-dependent reduction of LWS cone influence on rods. Finally, the finding that rod-cone interactions of the same magnitude found in normals can be seen in individuals where the cones' ability to mediate vision is severely reduced suggests the rod saturation paradigm as a sensitive technique for revealing residual LWS cone function.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1990

Spatial sensitization in the short wavelength sensitive pathways under dichoptic viewing conditions.

Spatial sensitization (Westheimer) functions were measured under conditions that isolated the short wavelength sensitive pathways. The variable diameter pedestal and the test probe were either presented to the same eye (monoptic presentation) or to different eyes (dichoptic presentation). The most significant new finding was that a dichoptically presented, small, blue pedestal caused threshold elevations of about 1-2 long units for an S cone detected probe. However, a large pedestal caused little or no change in threshold. This result contrasts with previous results using white light stimuli, which showed that steadily presented dichoptic pedestals caused little or no threshold change. Furthermore, we show there is little masking when the probe is detected by the isolated M or L cone pathways. These data thus demonstrate a binocular, size dependent interaction revealed only when S cones detect the probe.

Contrast Sensitivity↗
PubMed1990

Predicting visual acuity from detection thresholds.

Visual performance based exclusively on high luminance and high contrast letter acuity measures often fails to predict individual performance at low contrast and low luminance. Here we measured visual acuity over a wide range of contrasts and luminances (low mesopic to photopic) for 17 young normal observers. Acuity vs. contrast functions appear to fit a single template which can be displaced laterally along the log contrast axis. The magnitude of this lateral displacement for different luminances was well predicted by the contrast threshold difference for a 4 min arc spot. The acuity vs. contrast template, taken from the mean of all 17 subjects, was used in conjunction with individual spot contrast threshold measures to predict an individual's visual acuity over a wide range of luminance and contrast levels. The accuracy of the visual acuity predictions from this simple procedure closely approximates test-retest accuracy for both positive (projected Landolt rings) and negative contrast (Bailey-Lovie charts).

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity of the S cone pathway: preliminary measures with letter charts.

Letter charts were used to measure visual acuity and peak contrast sensitivity of the short wavelength sensitive (S cone)-pathway. The accommodative response was monitored retinoscopically. The mean visual acuity (0.92 logMAR) and spatial contrast threshold (8.7%) were comparable to values reported elsewhere, and variability was relatively low. Both S-pathway acuity and contrast sensitivity were selectively reduced in one patient with central serous retinopathy and in another with retinitis pigmentosa. These simple spatial tests offer an additional index of S-pathway integrity which will be useful for detection and evaluation of ocular disease.

Accommodation, Ocular↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of the standard and Adams desaturated D-15 tests with congenital colour vision deficiencies.

The Adams desaturated D-15 was designed to be administered to patients with acquired colour vision defects by simply reducing the chroma of the Munsell colours by 2 for each cap in the test. In this study, the performance of the Adams desat D-15 in the assessment of congenital colour vision deficiencies is evaluated. The standard D-15 and Adams desat D-15 tests were administered to 75 congenital red-green colour deficient subjects who had been diagnosed on the basis of their performance on the Nagel anomaloscope Mark 1. The results were analysed in terms of the directions, extent and specificity of errors and compared with the diagnosis on the Nagel anomaloscope. Of the 13 colour-deficient subjects who made no errors on the standard D-15, 1 failed the Adams desat D-15 and 2 made single crossings. No colour-deficient subject who failed the standard D-15 made anything less than a simple inversion of adjacent caps on the Adams desat D-15. The Adams desat D-15 did not perform as well as the standard D-15 in identification of the type of defect in dichromats. On the basis of these data, it is predicted that about 5% of dichromats will be mis-classified by the Adams desat D-15 whilst under 0.1% will be mis-classified by the standard D-15. However, with the anomalous trichomats, more crossings were made on the Adams desat D-15, particularly by the milder anomals, and a diagnosis was possible in more cases. Where a diagnosis was possible, it was also correct more often with the Adams desat D-15.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Color Vision Defects↗
PubMed1989

Evidence for a neural basis of age-related visual field loss in normal observers.

Many studies have reported a decrease in visual field sensitivity as a function of increasing age in normal individuals. This age-related sensitivity loss has mainly been attributed to reductions in pupil size and transmission losses of the ocular media (particularly the lens), although neural losses in the retina, optic nerve and visual cortex have also been suggested. We evaluated the role of preretinal factors on normal visual field changes associated with aging. The central visual field of both eyes of 62 normal subjects (ages 20 to 72) were evaluated with Program 30-2 of a modified Humphrey Field Analyzer. Three test procedures were employed: (1) a standard visual field evaluation; (2) a yellow target on a yellow background condition (530 nm cutoff filter) to minimize the influence of lens transmission losses with age; and (3) a large target/high background luminance "yellow on yellow" test condition (530 nm cutoff filter, 635 asb background, Size V target) to minimize both pupil size and lens effects on central visual field sensitivity. In addition, relative lens absorption estimates were obtained for each subject. All three test conditions revealed a loss in visual field sensitivity with increasing age (approximately 0.8 dB per decade) but no meaningful differences were found among the three test procedures. Relative lens density increased with age but was not related to visual field sensitivity for any of the three test conditions. These data suggest that normal age-related visual field sensitivity changes are primarily due to neural losses rather than preretinal factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Spatial sensitization of the B cone pathways.

Spatial sensitization functions were determined under chromatic adaptation conditions designed to isolate the short-wavelength-sensitive pathways (B cone pathways). Spatial sensitization occurs over large retinal dimensions for B cone detected targets and can be produced both by signals from B cones and by signals from R and/or G cones. Field sensitivity measures demonstrate that the mechanism producing sensitization on short-wavelength backgrounds has the spectral sensitivity of B cones. The field sensitivity on long-wavelength backgrounds does not correspond to any receptor spectral sensitivity or any pi mechanism, but suggests that opponent interaction between medium and long-wavelength receptors produces sensitization of B cone detected targets.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1988

Cone interaction occurs in the parafovea under pi 4 stimulus conditions.

This study shows that stimulus parameters that isolate Stiles' pi 4 mechanism at the fovea do not isolate pi 4 parafoveally. Instead, the parafoveal test sensitivity peaks at 520 nm and is relatively depressed at longer wavelengths. This narrowed spectral sensitivity is not due to rod intrusion or interaction but rather suggests cone interaction for a relatively wide range of spatial and temporal parameters. The anomalous shape of the parafoveal spectral sensitivity is not found in a protanope, further supporting the view that the effect seen in normal trichromats is the result of interaction between L and M cones. The study provides a unifying explanation for discrepant results by investigators studying the chromatic properties of spatial sensitization and the contrast after-flash effect. Foveal studies found independence of pi mechanisms while parafoveal studies found interaction. The present study emphasizes the importance of retinal eccentricity on color threshold experiments.

Color Perception↗
PubMed1988

Visual acuity changes with age: some new perspectives.

Snellen chart visual acuity is thought to change very little up to age 60 years. However, any changes in contrast in the retinal and/or neural image with age may only be detected in low contrast and low luminance testing conditions. Only under these conditions does contrast significantly influence visual acuity measurements. In this pilot experiment we show that low contrast visual acuity is considerably worse (two lines of Snellen acuity) for an older group (N = 8, mean age 57) than for a younger group (N = 9, mean age 24.6) in spite of the fact that each subject was referred to the study with 6/6 (20/20) or better acuity. At conventional contrast and luminance levels there is no significant difference between the two groups. The results also suggest that a simple measurement of contrast sensitivity for a small spot of light may allow a contrast correction factor to account for both age and luminance level differences in the contrast vs. acuity function.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Age-related changes in the central visual field for short-wavelength-sensitive pathways.

The sensitivity of short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) cone pathways throughout the central 30-deg visual field was determined in both eyes of 62 normal volunteers between the ages of 20 and 72 years. We found an average SWS cone pathway sensitivity decrease with age of approximately 0.15 log unit per decade. The sensitivity reduction was approximately linear, with a slightly larger decrease beyond the age of 50 years. The age-related SWS cone pathway sensitivity reductions also became larger as a function of increasing stimulus eccentricity. Measurements of ocular-media absorption characteristics in each eye revealed that 30-40% of the age-related sensitivity loss could be attributed to reductions in transmission of short-wavelength light by the ocular media. After corrections for preretinal media transmission loss, the decrease in the sensitivity of SWS cone pathways with age was approximately 0.09 log unit per decade. This age-related loss is greater than age-related sensitivity decreases in the middle-wavelength-sensitive and/or long-wavelength-sensitive cones (approximately 0.06 to 0.07 log unit per decade). In the age group older than 60 years, there was an inverse relationship between media-corrected SWS cone pathway sensitivity and media absorption characteristics (i.e., media-corrected SWS cone pathway sensitivity was higher in eyes with lower media transmission of short wavelengths). This relationship was not so evident for younger subjects. A similar inverse relationship between transmission loss in the ocular media and SWS cone pathway sensitivity was found between left and right eyes of the same individual.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Central visual fields for short wavelength sensitive pathways in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

While conventional clinical visual acuity and kinetic visual fields may be essentially normal in ocular hypertension and early stages of glaucoma, other foveal aspects of vision (eg color, spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity) may be quite abnormal. Specifically, a selective vulnerability of the short wavelength sensitive (SWS) visual pathways in these conditions has previously been noted. Here we studied the central visual fields of 33 primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients, 32 ocular hypertensives (OHT), and 24 age-matched normal controls using blue and yellow test flashes on bright yellow backgrounds. SWS cone and MWS and/or LWS cone pathway sensitivities were measured at the fovea and at 2.5 degrees, 5 degrees, 10 degrees and 15 degrees eccentricities, in either the inferior temporal (for OHT) or horizontal nasal retina (for POAG). As expected, all groups had normal sensitivity to yellow flashes--detected by LWS and/or MWS cones--in these meridians. By comparison, for the blue flashes--detected by the SWS cones--the POAG and OHT groups had sensitivity deficits, uniformly across the central visual field, of about 6X and 1.8X, respectively, compared to normals. While six of 31 (19%) OHT subjects had localized glaucomatous field defects (greater than 0.4 log units) in the non-foveal inferior temporal retina, none of the 12 OHT subjects who were also tested in the horizontal nasal retina showed loss in this meridian. Finally, while no POAG subjects had localized sensitivity loss for yellow flashes in the horizontal nasal retina, four did show local field defects with blue test flashes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗
PubMed1987

Clinical measures of central vision function in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

A generalized loss of visual sensitivity, even for foveal targets, has been reported as an early sign of glaucoma. In the present study of central vision, we used relatively simple and rapid clinical tests of color thresholds, color discrimination, and spatial contrast sensitivity to compare the vision of three age-matched groups of patients who had primary open angle glaucoma (n = 33) or ocular hypertension (n = 32) as well as normal subjects (n = 24). The largest sensitivity losses for both glaucoma and ocular hypertensive groups were disclosed by a color threshold test with blue lights designed to isolate the blue-sensitive pathways of the visual system. The loss of sensitivity for both the glaucoma group and the ocular hypertensive group is consistent with recent reports (from postmortem studies of human eyes) of extensive axon death even in the absence of glaucomatous field defects.

Aged↗