Critical flicker fusion thresholds predict higher accuracy heterochromatic flicker photometry stimulus frequencies

Abstract

The precision of heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) thresholds is improved if an appropriate stimulus frequency setting for a subject is known in advance. Without this information, accurate and fast estimates are difficult to obtain. In contrast, critical flicker fusion (CFF) thresholds are easily assessed. If the appropriate HFP stimulus frequency can be predicted by a subject's CFF threshold, faster and more accurate HFP assessments are possible. An experiment was conducted using an HFP macular pigment (MP) densitometer to demonstrate this relationship. The results show CFF threshold can assist in predicting the appropriate HFP frequency for a subject. This experimental protocol could be easily repeated for any other HFP apparatus to establish the parameters for other equipment. The resulting information can be used to improve research and clinical assessments made using HFP devices which see wide-spread use.