LIGHT AND VISION 2-17

Age and Subnormal Vision

There is a general degeneration of bodily functions with age. The re-
duction in visual acuity is shown by Fig. 2-15. Pupil size decreases with
age as shown in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2. Diameter of the Pupil in Millimeters
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AGE IN DAYLIGHT AT NIGHT DIFFERENCE
20 4.7 8.0 3.3
30 4.3 7.0 2.7
40 3.9 6.0 2.1
50 3.5 5.0 1.5
60 3.1 4.1 1.0
70 2.7 3.2 0.5
80 2.3 2.5 0.2
The Stiles-Crawford effect
is the reduced effectiveness of the rays of
light entering the pupil at increasing distances from the center. The
effect is not strong enough, however, to compensate for the reduction in
pupil size with age, which makes it necessary to increase brightness (Fig.
2-13) if the same acuity, minimum perceptible contrast, and speed are to
be maintained as an observer's age increases.
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Accommodation is the adjustment of the focal length of the eye for view-
ing objects at different distances. Upon tensing of the ciliary muscles,
the lens bulges (Fig. 2-16,4) to the proper contour to focus upon near
objects.
The youthful eye tends to be flexible and therefore can focus upon very
close objects (at eight years to 3 inches or less).
Age tends to stiffen the lens capsule in its flattened shape to the extent
that the muscles are no longer able to give it the convex contour necessary
for close vision. (See Fig. 2-16.B.)
An emmetrope is a person with normal
vision. Presbyopia is the term applied
to loss of accommodation. A myope is
one who is near sighted and cannot accom-
modate for far vision without correction.
The amplitude of accommodation for
these types of vision is improved by an
increase of illumination on the task. (See
Fig. 2-1QB.) The percentage of improve-
ment is greatest for the presbyopes, and
they also benefit much more in percent-
age gain of visual acuity. (See Fig.
2-165.)
< 60
< 20
40 60
AGE IN YEARS
FIG. 2-15. The reduction of visual
acuity with age.
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