Parâmetros de avaliação da visão: visão binocular

No período extra-uterino o sistema visual já se encontra totalmente constituído. Desenvolve-se desde o nascimento até à primeira infância. A primeira evidência clínica da visão binocular é demonstrada aos 6 meses de idade – visão estereoscópica. A visão binocular não é inata. O sistema visual decompõe todas as estimulações visuais que se apresentam à retina, em imagens com contraste variável. O cérebro, ao nível do córtex occipital, analisa-as e reconstitui a imagem inicial, com os dados de base, fruto da aprendizagem do indivíduo. É um processo cerebral correspondente à percepção dos objectos no espaço que é realizado em simultâneo para que as imagens obtidas por cada olho se formem sobre as respectivas fóveas. Pode ser definida como a visão conseguida através da coordenação dos dois olhos, de modo que as imagens de cada olho separadamente possam ser apreciadas como uma impressão mental única na parte visual do córtex cerebral.

Lighting conditions and optical filters effects on visual performance of speleologists exposed to cave environments

The aim of this study is to evaluate lighting conditions and speleologists’ visual performance using optical filters when exposed to the lighting conditions of cave environments. A crosssectional study was conducted. Twenty-three speleologists were submitted to an evaluation of visual function in a clinical lab. An examination of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity and flashlight illuminance levels was also performed in 16 of the 23 speleologists at two caves deprived of natural lightning. Two organic filters (450 nm and 550 nm) were used to compare visual function with and without filters. The mean age of the speleologists was 40.65 (± 10.93) years. We detected 26.1% participants with visual impairment of which refractive error (17.4%) was the major cause. In the cave environment the majority of the speleologists used a head flashlight with a mean illuminance of 451.0 ± 305.7 lux. Binocular visual acuity (BVA) was -0.05 ± 0.15 LogMAR (20/18). BVA for distance without filter was not statistically different from BVA with 550 nm or 450 nm filters (p = 0.093). Significant improved contrast sensitivity was observed with 450 nm filters for 6 cpd (p = 0.034) and 18 cpd (p = 0.026) spatial frequencies. There were no signs and symptoms of visual pathologies related to cave exposure. Illuminance levels were adequate to the majority of the activities performed. The enhancement in contrast sensitivity with filters could potentially improve tasks related with the activities performed in the cave.