ASSESSING VISION BEHIND CATARACT - A REVIEW OF METHODS

The clinician involved in cataract assessment is often faced with a de terioration in visual performance which may or may not be totally attr ibutable to the cataract. Neural changes may occur concurrently and co ntribute toward the reduced performance. This paper reviews the method s which attempt to discriminate between changes due to cataract develo pment and changes produced by neural degeneration. New techniques have been developed with more emphasis on quantitative rather than qualita tive assessment. These techniques are discussed critically with partic ular reference to their ability to distinguish between the contributio ns of optical and neural change. This has particular application in pr edicting the visual outcome after cataract surgery.