Towards A New Measure For Human Visual Acuity

This prospective study investigates whether a newly modified software program can effectively substitute for clinical measures of visual acuity like the standard Landolt C, ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) and Snellen charts. One goal of this study is to compare these different charts to the computerized experiment that we have created. Important differences between recognition versus resolution based visual acuity charts are discussed in light of these studies. The “open door” computerized acuity program displayed a black box on a white background (XoW) or a white box on a black background (WoX) that had an opening on one of its four sides. The width of the opening varied as the subjects indicated with a joystick whether they could detect the “open door”. I found no significant difference in terms of visual angle in arcseconds between the XoW computerized “open door” experiment and the Landolt C Chart (CI 95%). However, a significant difference between the WoX “open door” experiment compared to that of the Landolt C Chart as well as the XoW ‘open door” experiment (CI 95%) was found. Comparisons made between the between the three different visual acuity charts that were used revealed significant differences between the Landolt C and the Snellen chart in terms of logMAR (CI 95%).