Clinical Application of Temporal Modulation Sensitivity: Age Norms From Childhood to Maturity

Abstract

Sensitivity to sinusoidal temporal modulation (flicker sensitivity) of a uniform stimulus field is proving to be a useful technique for application to ophthalmological diagnosis. When measured by varying the amplitude of the light modulation at a series of fixed frequencies, flicker thresholds provide measures of contrast sensitivity for the stimulus, as well as of the temporal response characteristic of the visual system. More than just another index of visual loss, flicker sensitivity has been shown in a variety of diseases to provide earlier detection than previous tests, to measure a reversible component of the visual susceptibility to disease, to provide differential diagnosis of otherwise similar conditions, to characterize the nature of the sensory deficit, and to provide information as to which retinal mechanisms are affected by the disease.