Visual acuity in myopes with standard and reversed contrast optotypes

The aim of this study was to assess the visual acuity of myopes with standard and reversed contrast optotypes and to determine how the visual acuity of myopes is affected by optical defocus and the type of optical correction, either contact lenses or spectacles. Twenty-three myopic subjects (18 and 23 years old) with uncorrected vision had their visual acuity assessed with both standard and reversed contrast optotypes. The study also included 10 myopes with contact lens as well as habitual spectacle correction. The visual acuity for myopes with uncorrected vision was better with reversed than standard contrast optotypes. Better reversed contrast than standard contrast visual acuity was obtained also with spectacle and contact lens correction. This result could be due in part to low order aberrations (optical defocus) in myopes spectacle or contact lenses correction.