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Foveal dark adaptation, photopigment regeneration, and aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

D. Caroline Coile  and
Howard D. Baker
D. Caroline Coile
Affiliation:
Program in Psychobiology and Neuroscience, The Florida State University, Tallahassee
Howard D. Baker
Affiliation:
Program in Psychobiology and Neuroscience, The Florida State University, Tallahassee
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Abstract

Foveal dark adaptation in 58 subjects and photopigment regeneration in 60 subjects from 10–78 years of age exhibit parallel slowing of recovery rate with increasing age, with significant correlation of the two functions among individuals. The data are suggestive of an initial slight decline in rate before age 50, followed by a greater decline occuring at different ages in different ages in different individuals. Longitudinal data for one subject from age 40–65 show an increase in pigment regeneration time constant consistent with this idea. Foveal sensitivity and photopigment density both decrease with increasing age and are significantly correlated among individuals, although sensitivity declines more with age than does photopigment density. In contrast to earlier proposals based upon the Rushton-Dowling equation, we found no universal constant of proportionality to relate log relative threshold to photopigment within our population.

Keywords

PhotopigmentDark adaptationVisual sensitivityConesAging
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 27 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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