Effect of whiplash injury on contrast sensitivity

Shayne Brown, MAppSc, DippAppSc, DOBA
School of Orthoptics
Faculty of Health Sciences
La Trobe University, Melbourne

The aims of this study were to compare the results of the measurement of distance visual acuity and contrast sensitivity for whiplash injured subjects and control subjects. A total of 35 whiplash subjects (mean age:38 yrs, range 19-79 yrs; 71% female) and 72 control subjects (mean age:35 yrs, range 18-62 yrs; 79% female) were examined. Measurements of uniocular distance visual acuity and uniocular contrast sensitivity were taken. There was no difference in visual acuity between the whiplash and control group subjects. There was a statistically significant reduction in contrast sensitivity in the mid to high spatial frequency range for the right eyes and in the mid spatial frequency range of left eyes of the whiplash subjects compared to the control subjects. These results indicate that an aspect of visual function (contrast sensitivity) was effected by whiplash injury.