GLARE SENSITIVITY IN EARLY CATARACTS

In a previous study significant glare sensitivity (using Vistech MCT80 00) was found only in patients with posterior subcapsular cataracts (P SC) beyond the very early (LOCS II grade 1) stage. The aim of the pres ent study was to evaluate glare sensitivity in patients with early cat aracts. The brightness acuity tester (BAT) was used with the Pelli-Rob son chart on 50 patients with early cataracts (LOCS II grade 1 or 2) a nd on 14 normal volunteers. Only age and PSC were found to be associat ed with change in contrast sensitivity at high glare. Eyes with grade 1 PSC were not significantly different from eyes with grade 0 PSC afte r adjusting for age. Eyes with grade 2 PSC had significant glare effec t compared with eyes having grade 0 PSC. Thus, glare sensitivity is as sociated only with early (grade 2) PSC. Other tests still need to be d eveloped to assess visual function changes in patients with early cort ical and nuclear cataracts.