Purpose: To compare logMAR best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) in four types of early cataract and to evaluate influence of cataract surgery on visual functions. Patients and methods: 53 eyes (14 men, 39 women) with early cataract (BCVA 20/30 and 20/20 using Snellen charts) were examined before and within 3 and 12 months after cataract surgery. BCVA was tested using logMAR charts with Landolt rings. CSwasexaminedoncomputerized systemof 8010 type(Neuroscientific corp.,USA) in 6 spatial frequencies between 0.74 d/deg and 29.55 c(deg. Influence of glare of 342.6 cd/m2 was tested using Brightness Acuity tester. The cataract was devided into 4 types: a) cortical (n=19); b) posterior subcapsular (n=9); c) nuclear (n=9) and d) corticonuclear (n=16). Twenty subjects were examined in the control group. Results: BCVA using logMAR charts was 0.52 (0.22-1.05) preoperatively, and 0.83 (0.37-1.26) at 12 months postoperatively in the whole group of 53 patients. BCVA in patients before and after cataract surgery was significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.001, p<0.05). Postoperative improvement of BCVA was markedly higher on logMAR charts (up to 4 lines) than using Snellen charts (1 line). CS in patients before and after cataract surgery was significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.05 to p<0.001) in spite of significant improvement postoperatively (p<0.05 to p<0.001), first of all at intermediate and high spatial frequencies. Glare had only nonsignificant influence. The values of both BCVA and CS did not differ between 4 types of the cataract. Conclusions: The significant improvement of both BCVA and CS suggest that cataract surgery improve quality of life in early cataract.

        Key words: early cataract, logMAR charts, contrast sensitivity, glare