Testing visual acuity of children using vanishing optotypes

To test visual acuity in children, we developed a chart constructed so that the mean Fourier transform of the luminance of the figures on the chart at zero spatial frequency is the same as the background luminance. When the eye reaches its limit of resolution, the figures vanish into the gray background of the chart rather than becoming "blurred" as in conventional visual acuity charts. We compared the number of errors in determining the visual acuity of children aged 3-4.5 years using this high-frequency chart and a standard black-and-white high-contrast chart. Significantly fewer errors were found with the high-frequency chart, suggesting that this type of testing may improve the accuracy of visual acuity measurements in children.