Our goal is to investigate the application of clinically-practical vision function tests to understanding the relationships between vision function and visual task performance among elders; identifying and monitoring those at risk for vision loss; and suggesting potential interventions for optimizing task performance. In our work to date (in the Smith-Kettlewell Institute or """"""""SKI"""""""" Study), we have collected the most complete description ever of changes in vision function with age and their relation to task performance, uncovering new evidence for the importance of """"""""real world"""""""" vision function measures that go beyond standard high contrast acuity. We will now examine three major findings more closely. First, we will pursue our discovery that low contrast vision measures are highly predictive of future vision loss in individuals with good high contrast acuity. This finding, with its far-reaching implications, will be closely examined in a longitudinal study incorporating full ophthalmological examinations in addition to our comprehensive vision test battery. Second, we will explore the implications of our discovery that reading rates decline with age even in individuals with good acuity. We will examine the non-acuity and non visual factors in reading performance to improve our understanding of their contributions. Thirdly, we will explore ways in which findings about task performance relating to luminance and binocularity can be exploited to improve reading and face recognition performance among elders with mild to moderate visual impairments. In the process, we will gather two more rounds of data for our longitudinal study, which will then encompass five test points over 15 years, significantly increasing its value and predictive power.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY009588-11
Application #
6949902
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IFCN-J (03))
Program Officer
Redford, Maryann
Project Start
1993-07-01
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2005-09-01
Budget End
2006-08-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$673,962
Indirect Cost
Name
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
073121105
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94115
Schneck, Marilyn E; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla; Lott, Lori A et al. (2014) Comparison of panel D-15 tests in a large older population. Optom Vis Sci 91:284-90
Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla; Schneck, Marilyn E; Lott, Lori A et al. (2014) Longitudinal increase in anisometropia in older adults. Optom Vis Sci 91:60-7
Lott, Lori A; Schneck, Marilyn E; Haegerström-Portnoy, Gunilla et al. (2010) Non-standard vision measures predict mortality in elders: the Smith-Kettlewell Institute (SKI) study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 17:242-50
Schneck, Marilyn E; Haegerstom-Portnoy, Gunilla; Lott, Lori A et al. (2010) Monocular vs. binocular measurement of spatial vision in elders. Optom Vis Sci 87:526-31
Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla (2005) The Glenn A. Fry Award Lecture 2003: Vision in elders--summary of findings of the SKI study. Optom Vis Sci 82:87-93
Lott, Lori A; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla; Schneck, Marilyn E et al. (2005) Face recognition in the elderly. Optom Vis Sci 82:874-81
Brabyn, John A; Schneck, Marilyn E; Lott, Lori A et al. (2005) Night driving self-restriction: vision function and gender differences. Optom Vis Sci 82:755-64
Schneck, Marilyn E; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla; Lott, Lori A et al. (2004) Low contrast vision function predicts subsequent acuity loss in an aged population: the SKI study. Vision Res 44:2317-25
West, Catherine G; Gildengorin, Ginny; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla et al. (2003) Vision and driving self-restriction in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 51:1348-55
Schneck, Marilyn E; Haegerstrom-Portnoy, Gunilla (2003) Practical assessment of vision in the elderly. Ophthalmol Clin North Am 16:269-87

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