Individual differences in the shape of the nasal visual field

[Display omitted] •The stimulus was resistant to peripheral defocus and reduced illumination.•Between-subject differences in the shape of the nasal visual field were substantial.•In some people there was no peripheral depression of sensitivity, in most the depression was mild.•A few had more severe peripheral depression that persisted in longitudinal testing. Between-subject differences in the shape of the nasal visual field were assessed for 103 volunteers 21–85years of age and free of visual disorder. Perimetry was conducted with a stimulus for which contrast sensitivity is minimally affected by peripheral defocus and decreased retinal illumination. One eye each was tested for 103 volunteers free of eye disease in a multi-center prospective longitudinal study. A peripheral deviation index was computed as the difference in log contrast sensitivity at outer (25–29° nasal) and inner (8° from fixation) locations. Values for this index ranged from 0.01 (outer sensitivity slightly greater than inner sensitivity) to −0.7 log unit (outer sensitivity much lower than inner sensitivity). Mean sensitivity for the inner locations was independent of the deviation index (R2