Normal Range of Cambridge Low Contrast Test; a Population Based Study

PURPOSE: To determine the range of contrast sensitivity (CS) and its determinants in a normal population, Mashhad, Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional population based study, 4,453 individuals were invited of whom 3,132 persons agreed to participate (response rate, 70.4%). CS data from 2,449 eligible individuals were analyzed. CS was determined using the Cambridge low contrast square-wave grating test, and its associations with age, gender, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE) refractive error, were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 29.1±17.3 (range, 4-89) years and 66.4% were female. Mean CS was 239.6±233.3 and 234.6±228.6 cps in right and left eyes, respectively. Mean binocular CS was 310.9±249.0 cps. Multiple linear regression showed that CS was inversely correlated with older age (β=-1.1, P<0.001), female gender (β=-40.1, P<0.001), poorer BCVA (β=-165.4, P<0.001), and severity of myopia (β=-10.2, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The normal range of Cambridge low-contrast grating test reported herein may serve as a reference for the general population in Iran. Our findings can be used for both research and clinical applications, particularly for evaluations of the outcomes of refractive surgery. In the current study, CS was lower in older subjects, myopic individuals and patients with lower BCVA.