DARK
ADAPTATION
-BY [Link]
INTRODUCTION
• Its the ability of eyes to adapt to decreasing illumination
• When one goes from bright sunshine into a dim room, it
takes time to perceive objects.
• Duration of eye adapting to low illumination is called
DARK ADAPTATION TIME(usually 30mins).
• Rods are the prominently active cells.
RODS CONES
• 120 million in number • 6.5 million in number
• Rhodopsin (opsin + • Photopsin ( protein
retinal ) is the photo opsin ) is the photo
pigment present. pigment present.
• No rods in fovea. • Most densely packed at
fovea.
• Responsible for vision
at low illumination ( • Much more
scotopic vision). sensitive hence are
responsible for vision
in bright illumination
(photopic vision ).
The dark adaptation sensitivity curve :
• Rods take upto 30-35
minutes to fully
recover.
• Rods are much more
sensitive than cones in
low illumination.
• This curve is plotted between illumination of object in
vertical axis and duration of dark adaptation in horizontal
axis.
• Shows that the visual threshold falls progressively in a
darkened room for about half an hour until a relative
constant value is reached.
Sections of the curve -
❑The first section is rapid , of short
duration and small in extent - cone
adaptation .
❑The second section is slower, of
longer duration and larger - rod
adaptation.
❑The inflection of the dark adaptation
curve where the rod limb begins-
cone-rod break or alpha point.
Mechanisms of dark adaptation
1. Visual pigmentation mechanism -
• Dark adaptation depends upon photopigment bleaching.
• The time course for dark adaptation and rhodopsin regeneration is same.
• Retinal and opsin converted into light sensitive pigment.
• Vit. A is converted back into retinal.
• Bleaching rhodopsin by 1% raises threshold by 10 ( decreases sensitivity by 10 )
• Sensitivity is proportional to anti logarithm of rhodopsin conc.
2. Change in pupillary size -
• Pupils dilate in dim light
to allow more light to
enter the eye and vice
versa.
• This action is mediated
by light reflex which is of
two types – direct and
consensual light reflex.
A consensual pupillary
A direct pupillary reflex
reflex is response of a
is pupillary response to
pupil to light that
light that enters the
enters the contralateral
ipsilateral (same) eye.
(opposite) eye.
Factors affecting dark adaptation -
1.) Factors related to preadapting light
a. Intensity and energy of preadapting
light –
With increasing level of preadapting
luminance and energy absolute
threshold takes longer to reach and vice
versa.
b. wavelengths –
• Rod cone break is not seen
when using light of long
wavelengths such as
extreme red ( hence usage
of red glasses by some
professionals).
2.) Factors related to the individual -
❖ Vit. A deficiency – depletion of photosensitive pigments.
❖ Tobacco inhalation – slower recovery
❖ Opacities in ocular media
❖ Anoxia – increases threshold eg. DR
❖ Anaesthesia such as halothane
❖ Myopia between 5-10 D – higher adaptation times , reduced
visual acuity
❖ Glaucoma with visual field defects – effect on peripheral retina
Dark adaptometry
• Retinal testing done to diagnose and manage retinal degeneration.
• By measuring the length of time it takes for the retina to regain
maximal sensitivity to low amounts of light after it has been
exposed to bright light .
• It is a useful diagnostic test and clinical trial endpoint for age-
related maculopathy (ARM) because impaired night vision is a
hallmark of early ARM.
Golden weekers adaptometer
Diseases affecting dark adaptation-
• Congenital stationary night blindness
• Xerophthalmia
• Stargardt's disease
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Choroideremia
Congenital stationary night blindness
• Non progressive retinal disorders.
• Also known as oguchi's disease.
• Defects in rod photoreceptor signal transduction and
transmission .
• Severely reduced rod ERG amplitudes .
• Rod sensitivity in patients is decreased by 1000x .
Xerophthalmia
X1B
• Due to Vit. A deficiency.
Stargardt's disease
• AR form of juvenile macular degeneration .
• Mutations in ABCR( ABCA4)gene on Chr 1 .
• Accumulation of florescent lipofuscin
pigments in RPE .
• Significant accumulation of A2E is seen in
the RPE of patients with Stargardt's
disease.
A2E – pyridinium salt of N-retinylidene-N-
retinylethanolamine
Retinitis Pigmentosa
• Progressive rod cone dystrophy .
• Night blindness, followed by
decreasing visual fields , leading to
tunnel vision and eventually
blindness.
• Gradually increasing bony-spiculed
pigmentation, attenuation of retinal
vasculature , waxy disc pallor
• Start in early teenage years and
severe impairment by 40.
Choroideremia
• Chorioretinal dystrophy with
progressive RPE, photoreceptor and
choriocapillary degeneration.
• X linked recessive condition due to
defect in CHM gene.
• Nyctalopia begins in adolescence
followed by reduced peripheral and
central vision.