Contrast Sensitivity Functions in ON and OFF Visual Pathways in Myopia

05/11/2026

AI Summary

High myopes exhibit reduced ordinary and ON pathway contrast sensitivity, primarily as decreased peak sensitivity across measured spatial frequencies.
The ON pathway deficit is selective: lower increment/decrement area under log CSF ratio correlates with spherical equivalent and axial length.
Deficits are most pronounced at low spatial frequencies, informing functional evaluation and potential targeted intervention strategies for myopia.

TL;DR (AI Generated)

PURPOSE: The current study investigates the contrast sensitivity (CS) of ON and OFF visual pathways across a broad spatial frequency range in individuals with varying severities of myopia.

The increment/decrement (ON/OFF) area under log CSF ratio was significantly lower in the high myopia group than that in the emmetropia group (P < 0.001) and the low myopia group (P = 0.009), indicating a selective ON pathway deficit.

Basic summary

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026 Nov 2;67(13):14. doi: 10.1167/iovs.67.13.14.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The current study investigates the contrast sensitivity (CS) of ON and OFF visual pathways across a broad spatial frequency range in individuals with varying severities of myopia.

METHODS: The CS function (CSF) was measured in 60 adults (emmetropes, low myopes, and high myopes) using a psychophysical paradigm that could selectively activate the ON and OFF pathways, combined with the quick CSF method. Stimuli included bipolar, increment, and decrement bandpass-filtered noise across 15 spatial frequency levels (0.25-25.85 cycles per degree). Tests were performed under binocular, dominant eye (DE), and non-DE (NDE) conditions.

RESULTS: High myopes exhibited significant deficits in ordinary (bipolar) and ON pathway (increment) CS, primarily manifested as reduced peak sensitivity. The increment/decrement (ON/OFF) area under log CSF ratio was significantly lower in the high myopia group than that in the emmetropia group (P < 0.001) and the low myopia group (P = 0.009), indicating a selective ON pathway deficit. The ratio correlated with the spherical equivalent refraction (r = 0.484; P < 0.001) and axial length (r = -0.490; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: High myopia exhibited reduced ordinary and ON pathway CS. The ON pathway-selective CS deficits were significantly correlated with myopia severity and predominantly observed at low SFs. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding visual function in myopia, developing effective functional evaluation tools, and designing targeted intervention strategies.

PMID:42986172 | DOI:10.1167/iovs.67.13.14

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