Beyond the letter chart:

New clinical applications of

Hyperacuity

Paul H Artes,
Dalhousie University
2008
How can psychophysics catch up
with advances in imaging?

sections through a healthy fovea, Spectralis OCT

How can psychophysics catch up
with advances in imaging?
sdOCT: axial resolution: 5 microns
transverse resolution: 15 microns
How can psychophysics catch up
with advances in imaging?
sdOCT: axial resolution: 5 microns
transverse resolution: 15 microns

Hyperacuity psychophysics:
0.16 microns
How can psychophysics catch up
with advances in imaging?
sdOCT: axial resolution: 5 microns
transverse resolution: 15 microns

× 30 - 100
Hyperacuity psychophysics:
0.16 microns
Visual Acuity
Visual Acuity

By convention, 6/6 = 1 min or 60 sec

Visual Acuity

Physiological limit set

by receptor spacing, ~30’’ (6/3)
Visual Acuity

6/12

4.67 in = 12 degrees
6/12 letter = 10 min = 1/6 degree
4.67/72 = 0.065 in
6/60 letter = 50 min = 5/6 degree
4.67/14.4 =
Visual Acuity

6/60 6/12

4.67 in = 12 degrees
6/12 letter = 10 min = 1/6 degree
4.67/72 = 0.065 in
6/60 letter = 50 min = 5/6 degree
4.67/14.4 =
Hyperacuities
Visual tasks with thresholds much smaller
than foveal receptor spacing. Westheimer, 1981

30 – 60’’
Hyperacuities
Visual tasks with thresholds much smaller
than foveal receptor spacing. Westheimer, 1981

30 – 60’’
Hyperacuity:
as low as 5’’
Classic Hyperacuities

vernier chevron bisection

5’’
…robust to blur and loss of contrast
Radial Deformation Acuity

VR ‘98
Radial Deformation Acuity

VR ‘98
Radial Deformation Acuity
Mean radius (eg. 0.5 or 1 degree)
Amplitude of sinusoidal deformation (in %)

RDA thresholds as low as 0.3%, or 3

seconds of arc,
>10 times better than best possible
Radial Deformation Acuity
4th derivative of
Gaussian
(resistant to optical
blur)
Radial Deformation Acuity

4.67 in = 12 degrees
6/12 letter = 10 min = 1/6 degree
4.67/72 = 0.065 in
6/60 letter = 50 min = 5/6 degree
4.67/14.4 =
Radial Deformation Acuity

4.67 in = 12 degrees
6/12 letter = 10 min = 1/6 degree
4.67/72 = 0.065 in
6/60 letter = 50 min = 5/6 degree
4.67/14.4 =
Radial Deformation Acuity

4.67 in = 12 degrees
6/12 letter = 10 min = 1/6 degree
4.67/72 = 0.065 in
6/60 letter = 50 min = 5/6 degree
4.67/14.4 =
Radial Deformation Acuity

2° (120’) RDA threshold

3 seconds of arc,
ie 200 times smaller
than 6/12 letter

6/12 letter
10’
RDA in Macular Disease
IOVS 2002

OVS 2003

Eyes with early AMD but good VA showed

large RDA deficits.
No relation with VA and Contrast Sensitivity.
No age-related decline in RDA.
A test for foveal distortion?

Marc Amsler, 1949

A test for foveal distortion?
A test for foveal distortion?

5-alternative forced-choice
“odd-one-out” paradigm
(controls criterion effects)
Early data: young volunteers*

1.0 66666

5/6
0.8
proportion seen

4/6 4/6
0.6

0.4 2/5
2/6
1/4
0.2
-2.97 0.1%, or 3.9’’
0.0
-3.5 -3.0 -2.5 -2.0
log Radial Deformation (%)

* Nayha Patel, undergraduate final year project, University of Manchester, UK

Early data: young volunteers*

1.0 66666
Which one?
5/6
0.8
proportion seen

4/6 4/6
0.6

0.4 2/5
2/6
1/4
0.2
-2.97 0.1%, or 3.9’’
0.0
-3.5 -3.0 -2.5 -2.0
log Radial Deformation (%)

* Nayha Patel, undergraduate final year project, University of Manchester, UK

Ongoing project: AMD*
Hypotheses

RDA charts correlate closely with early irregularity

of foveal receptor layers revealed by spectral
domain OCT & autofluorescence imaging.

High repeatability of RDA may provide more

powerful signals for early change in AMD, a useful
property for clinical trials of new therapies and
preventive strategies.

* Nigel Rawlings, Resident in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie U.

Thank you!