Sekuler R, Kline D, Dismukes K
Aviat Space Environ Med. 1982 Aug;53(8):747-58.
This report reviews what is known about the effects of age on visual function and discusses the implications of age-related changes in vision for the flying performance of military pilots. Most visual functions decline to some degree with age, and the rate of decline has been roughly characterized in the general population. There is, however, virtually no data on military pilots, and extrapolation from the general population requires caution. Individual variation in the effects of age is great, and military pilots are a select group presumably in better general health than the general population. Several visual functions that decline with age seem particularly relevant to pilot performance: contrast sensitivity, dynamic acuity, recovery from glare, function under low illumination, and information processing. Vision examinations currently given to military and commercial pilots do not measure these visual functions. The feasibility of supplementing existing vision examinations with measurements of these functions should be explored; such an assessment should consider both research issues and policy implications. Research is needed on several major problems in this area. It is not possible at present to characterize well the effect of changes in visual function on the performance of complex tasks, such as flying. This report suggests several specific measures that might help characterize the effects of changes in visual function on pilot performance. Data on changes in visual functions with age should be collected from military pilots, preferably with multivariate, longitudinally designed studies. Research is suggested to assess the extent to which experienced pilots may compensate for declining visual functions and to determine how such compensation is achieved. The report suggests studies on the interaction of age with other factors, such as cardiovascular changes, that may affect performance, especially under stress.
本报告回顾了已知的年龄对视觉功能的影响，并讨论了与年龄相关的视力变化对军事飞行员飞行性能的影响。大多数视觉功能会随着年龄的增长而在一定程度上下降，并且在普通人群中已经大致描述了下降的速度。然而，几乎没有关于军事飞行员的数据，从普通人群进行推断需要谨慎。年龄影响的个体差异很大，而且军事飞行员是一个经过挑选的群体，推测其总体健康状况优于普通人群。一些随着年龄下降的视觉功能似乎与飞行员的表现特别相关：对比敏感度、动态视力、眩光恢复能力、低光照条件下的功能以及信息处理能力。目前对军事和商业飞行员进行的视力检查并未测量这些视觉功能。应该探索用这些功能的测量来补充现有视力检查的可行性；这样的评估应该同时考虑研究问题和政策影响。在这个领域需要对几个主要问题进行研究。目前还无法很好地描述视觉功能变化对诸如飞行等复杂任务表现的影响。本报告提出了一些可能有助于描述视觉功能变化对飞行员表现影响的具体措施。应该从军事飞行员那里收集关于视觉功能随年龄变化的数据，最好采用多变量、纵向设计的研究。建议进行研究以评估经验丰富的飞行员在多大程度上可以弥补下降的视觉功能，并确定这种补偿是如何实现的。该报告建议研究年龄与其他因素（如心血管变化）之间的相互作用，这些因素可能会影响表现，尤其是在压力下。
