Radial frequency contrast sensitivity in children of 4 to 7 years old and adults / Sensibilidade ao contraste de freqüências radiais em crian as de 4 a 7 anos e adultos

The aim of this work was to measure contrast sensitivity for radial frequencies (rCSF) in the range between 0.25-2 cpd in children (4 to 7 years of age) and young adults. Contrast thresholds were estimated for 25 participants (twenty children and five adults) using the psychophysical forced-choice method at low luminance levels. All the cts participants had normal acuity. The results showed that the curves (rCSF) of the 4, 5, 6 and 7 years old improved significantly with age. The results also showed that the rCSF for 7 year old children was lower than in young adults. These results suggest that the development of contrast sensitivity for radial stimuli increases gradually even after turning 7 years old.