Relationships Between Spatial Contrast Sensitivity and Parafoveal Cone Density in Normal Subjects and Patients With Retinal Degeneration

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between spatial contrast sensitivity (CS) and parafoveal cone density (PCD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen healthy individuals (mean age: 26.1 years ± 4.5 years) and nine patients with hereditary retinal degeneration (mean age: 31.6 years ± 13.4 years) without media opacities were studied. The CS was measured by CSV-1000 (VectorVision, Greenville, OH). The cone mosaic was photographed with an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) with a 1° × 1° field of view centered on the fovea. The PCD was calculated in an annular area with radii of 0.38° and 0.43°. The CS was converted to the logarithm (logCS), and the area under the logCS function (AULCSF) was determined. RESULTS: The AULCSF was significantly and positively correlated with the PCD in the control (R 2 = 0.522; P = .003) and retinal degeneration (R 2 = 0.514; P = .03) groups. CONCLUSION: PCD can predict the spatial contrast sensitivity in normal subjects or patients with retinal degeneration without media opacities. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina . 2017;48:106–113.]