Log MAR Charts

and

CSV 1000 Charts

 Log MAR Charts – History
1. The Word “Log MAR” Stands for - Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution.

2. To Be more Precise, LogMAR is an acronym for log10 of the minimum angle of resolution (MAR),
where MAR is the width of the stroke or one-fifth of the angular subtense of the optotype.

3. LogMAR Visual Acuity values are presented in numerical format such as 1.0, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7 logMAR,
thereby making data scoring and analysis easier.

4. This chart was designed by Ian Bailey and Jan E. Lovie-Kitchin at the National Vision Research
Institute of Australia in 1976 and is designed to enable a more accurate estimate of acuity than the other
distance visual acuity charts used commonly like the Snellen’s Visual Acuity Charts . 

5. These charts are also known as Bailey-Lovie charts and ETDRS charts (Early Treatment Diabetic
Retinopathy Study). 

6. It is a chart consisting of rows of letters that is used by Ophthalmologists, Orthoptists, Optometrists

and vision scientists to estimate visual acuity.
Log Mar Charts Available Today…

ETDRS CHART – TUMBLING E CHART

 Features of the logMAR visual Acuity Charts.
• Each line of the LogMAR chart comprises the same number of test letters (effectively standardizing
the test across letter size)

• The Sloan font is used (Sloan letters are approximately equally legible one from another);

• The letter sizes from line to line, vary logarithmically as does the spacing between lines (making the
chart easy to use at nonstandard viewing distances).

• Each letter read correctly can be assigned a value of 0.02 LogMAR score.

• There are five letters on each of the rows.

• The letter spacing on each row is equal to one letter width (i.e. equal to four stroke widths).

• The row spacing is equal to the height of the letters on the smaller row.

• These features result in smaller spacing in the higher acuity levels, giving the charts the
characteristic triangular configuration.
• The progression of letter sizes follows a geometric progression whose ratio or multiplier is
equal to 0.1 log units (or 1.26). The Letters on each line are 25 per cent larger than the preceding
line.

• The chart is designed for standard testing distance of 4m.

• The largest letters have stroke widths subtending 10 minutes of arc, (1.0 logMAR and 6/60 Snellen
equivalent notation) and the smallest letters have stroke widths subtending 0.5 minutes of arc (-0.3
logMAR and 6/3 Snellen equivalent notation) at 4m.

• The rows of the chart are labelled on the left-hand side with the equivalent standard Snellen
notation (for convenience some of the Snellen fractions have to be rounded).

• On the right-hand side of each row of letters, the VA ratings are labelled with the logarithm of the
minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which is the logarithm to the base 10 of the angular subtense
(in minutes of arc) of the stroke widths at 4m.

• Thus 0.0 logMAR is equivalent to 6/6 (i.e. one minute of arc).

 Advantages of using LogMAR Charts
• With logMAR visual acuities chart, it is possible to measure and score low VA
accurately which can then be included in statistical analysis of research studies.

• Another advantage is the regular progression of the optotype sizes from one
line to the other in geometric format.

• Each optotype on one line is 1.2589 times larger than the optotype on the next.
This multiplier is the tenth root of ten, or 0.1 log unit.

• Since there is 0.1 logMAR unit difference between acuity lines of the logMAR
charts, when each line has five optotypes, an interpolated logMAR score can
be created by assigning 0.02 logMAR units for each optotype read correctly.
 LEA SYMBOL
CHART USED FOR
VISUAL ACUITY
EVALUATION IN
PEDIATRIC AGE
GROUP IS ALSO
BASED ON THE
logMAR PRINCIPLE.
 Recording Visual Acuity on the logMAR Charts.
•Ensure good natural light or illumination on the chart. It is important to ensure that the person

has the best possible chance of seeing and reading the test chart as treatment decisions are

made based on the results of VA testing.

•If the test is done outdoors, the chart should be in bright light and the patient in the shade, with

enough light to illuminate the patient's face during the test.

•Explain the procedure to the patient.

•Position the patient, sitting or standing, at a distance of 4 meters from the chart.

•The Chart can be used at 3 Meters also depending upon the type of the logMAR chart used.

E.G. Lea Symbol charts can be used at 3 Meters.

•Test the eyes one at a time, at first without any spectacles (if worn).
• Always prefer to test the ‘worse’ eye first (ask the patient out of which eye they see best). This ensures
that the minimum is read with the ‘worse’ eye, and more will be read with the ‘good’ eye. This means that no
letters are remembered, which could make the second visual acuity appear better than it is.

•Ask the patient to read from the top of the chart and from left to right. If the patient cannot read the letters due to
language difficulties, use an E chart. The patient is asked to point in the direction the ‘legs’ of the E are facing.
•The smallest line read is recorded and expressed as a Snellen’s fraction on the Left Side of the Chart and In
logMAR Score on the Right Side. e.g. 6/7.5 in Snellen’s Notations and 0.10 in logMAR Notations on the
Chart.
•Incomplete lines can be added to the last complete line. e.g. 6/7.5+3, indicating that the patient read the
‘7.5’ line and gained three of the letters on the ‘6’ line and using the logMAR formula for 3 letters read in the
next Line, the score of (0.02x3)0.06,can be deducted from the 0.10 logMAR score to get the final VA of 0.04
logMAR.
• If the patient cannot read the largest letters, move him/her closer, 1 meter at a time, until the top letter can be seen.
Repeat the whole procedure for the second eye.
•Summarize the VA of both eyes in Snellen’s Fractions as well as in logMAR Notations and use the
Reference table or the logMAR formula to calculate the proper Visual Acuity.
 Converting Snellen’s VA to logMAR Score.
• One method of doing this is to take the log10 of the reciprocal of the enumerated Snellen
Fraction.

For example, if a patient read 6/10 (Snellen), the reciprocal is 10/6 = 1.7. Taking the log
of this, 1.7 log10 = 0.23 logMAR. This conversion can be done regardless of the
denominator or numerator of the Snellen acuity.

• In the logMAR principle, the number of letters missed or gained can be calculated
and adjusted from the best VA line to arrive at a single logMAR VA value.

• The principle of interpolating logMAR score can be applied by assigning 0.02 logMAR
units for each letter read correctly in situations in which some letters on several lines are
missed.
The Formula:-

This method is used both clinically and for research purposes in scoring VA.
• ThUsing the example:
• If all letters up to 6/7.5 (logMAR 0.10) are correctly read and in addition, three letters on the next line (6/6 line) (logMAR 0.0) are read
e logMAR method score can be applied by simply assigning 0.02 logMAR units for each letter
read correctly on the chart and adjusting for the letters missed or gained on the best VA line.

• Using the example:

If all letters up to 6/7.5 (logMAR 0.10) are correctly read and in addition, three letters on the next
line (6/6 line) (logMAR 0.0) are read

an interpolated value of 0.04 logMAR (that is 0.1 – (3) (0.02) = 0.04 can be used to represent
the VA.

Here 0.10 is the logMAR score of 6/7.5 line, 3 letters read in 6/6-line x 0.02 logMAR value for the
Letter-
A Conversion
Chart Can be
made and used
for reference.
THANK YOU