The following is a summary of “Matching convolved images to optically blurred images on the retina,” published in the February 2022 issue of Ophthalmology by Aissati, et al.

For a study, the effect of ocular aberrations on image quality was simulated using convolved images. The retinal image was created by convolving the stimulus with the point spread function derived from the subject’s aberrations. However, previous research has shown that convolved images are perceived to be more degraded than the same image blurred with optical defocus. 

To investigate the issue, the researchers used a polychromatic adaptive optics system with monochromatic (555 nm) and polychromatic light (WL) illumination to evaluate optical and visual quality with natural optics and convolved images (on-bench, computer simulations, and visual acuity [VA] in subjects). The subject’s aberrations were measured using a Hartmann Shack system and were used to convolve the visual stimuli using Fourier optics. 

The convolved images were viewed through corrected optics. The study found that VA with convolved stimuli was lower than VA through natural aberrations, particularly in WL (by 26% in WL). The results suggested that the decrease in visual performance associated with visual acuity and retinal image quality by simulation with convolved stimuli is mainly due to a lack of favorable interaction between chromatic and monochromatic aberrations in the eye.

Source: jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2778587