Citation

Garcia-Rojo M, Bonnin-Arias C, Chamorro E, Álvarez-Peregrina C, Sánchez-Ramos C. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021; 18(9): e4733.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph18094733

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

(1) Background: In mesopic lighting conditions, or under adverse environmental circumstances, visual information is reduced, which increases the risk of traffic accidents. This effect could be reduced with a precise evaluation of the visual function under mesopic conditions, but it is difficult to replicate in clinics. This study aims to develop an easy-to-adopt method to evaluate mesopic visual acuity (VA) in drivers. (2) Methods: Prospective and observational study in drivers. logMAR mesopic VA was compared with photopic VA measured under different combinations of contrast charts and filters to find the combination that responds best to mesopic conditions. (3) Results: Fifty-six drivers were examined. The best correlation was found with an 80% density filter and a Weber contrast chart of 20%. The logMAR VA for this combination was 0.01 ± 0.11, which was close to the mesopic VA values (0.01 ± 0.12). The difference between both logMAR VA was 0.00 ± 0.06 (R = 0.86; p ≤ 0.001; ICC = 0.86). (4) Conclusions: The use of 20% contrast optotypes and the interposition of an 80% filter under photopic conditions provide VA values similar to those measured under mesopic lighting conditions, making this simple system a good predictor of mesopic VA values.

Language: en

Keywords

aging; contrast; driver behavior; mesopic visual acuity; night driving; photopic visual acuity; vision