Search Results (5)

Color vision is a critical aspect of human visual perception, yet traditional assessments often lack quantitative precision. The Rabin Cone Contrast Test and its successors offer objective, standardized measurements of cone-specific contrast sensitivity. These tests improve the detection and classification of color vision deficiencies and can facilitate the monitoring of color vision deficits in inherited retinal diseases, cone dystrophies, optic neuropathies, and brain injuries. Integrating quantitative color vision testing into clinical practice presents a more reliable, reproducible, and functionally relevant evaluation, highlighting its value in disease diagnosis, characterization, and management. Full article

Color as a feature of interior spaces is a fundamental component of human interaction with the built environment. Therefore, planning the design concept of an interior space with attention to color choices is extremely important, especially when the users of a given space include individuals who require additional support and care, such as the elderly. The colors used in architecture and interiors play a crucial role in the well-being of older adults, influencing their spatial perception, behavior, and activity. With age, color perception changes due to the effects of the aging process on vision. Visual deficits lead to shifts in sensory perception, which can, in turn, affect the sense of well-being, often creating a heightened sense of uncertainty. These changes in color perception due to aging may impact the color preferences of older people within their living environments. To create supportive environments for seniors, it is necessary to investigate which colors are most easily recognized, which colors are easiest to distinguish, and which colors are preferred by older adults. Based on a review of the literature and research findings on age-related changes in chromatic and spatial perception, design recommendations and guidelines have been developed. To supplement this knowledge, a survey was conducted among seniors to gather insights on their color preferences. Observations and analyzes of the survey results point to strategies for color use and underscore the importance of color in designing sustainable living spaces for seniors. Full article

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a vision-threatening microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is a leading cause of blindness worldwide that requires early detection and intervention. However, diagnosing DR early remains challenging due to the subtle nature of initial pathological changes. This review explores developments in multimodal imaging and functional tests for early DR detection. Where conventional color fundus photography is limited in the field of view and resolution, advanced quantitative analysis of retinal vessel traits such as retinal microvascular caliber, tortuosity, and fractal dimension (FD) can provide additional prognostic value. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has also emerged as a reliable structural imaging tool for assessing retinal and choroidal neurodegenerative changes, which show potential as early DR biomarkers. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enables the evaluation of vascular perfusion and the contours of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), providing valuable insights into early retinal and choroidal vascular changes. Functional tests, including multifocal electroretinography (mfERG), visual evoked potential (VEP), multifocal pupillographic objective perimetry (mfPOP), microperimetry, and contrast sensitivity (CS), offer complementary data on early functional deficits in DR. More importantly, combining structural and functional imaging data may facilitate earlier detection of DR and targeted management strategies based on disease progression. Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques show promise for automated lesion detection, risk stratification, and biomarker discovery from various imaging data. Additionally, hematological parameters, such as neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), may be useful in predicting DR risk and progression. Although current methods can detect early DR, there is still a need for further research and development of reliable, cost-effective methods for large-scale screening and monitoring of individuals with DM. Full article

This study examined the impact of color vision deficits on shade selection accuracy among 119 Portuguese dental students. Only males displayed color vision deficiencies (4/119). Participants completed an Ishihara color vision screening test and a shade selection test using the VITAPAN classical scale. Overall, 59.4% of students correctly matched shades. No significant gender difference was found. Matching shades was easier in the order of C > B > A > D, with darker shades posing more difficulty. Color vision deficiencies did not significantly affect accurate tooth shade selection. However, males showed a higher prevalence of color vision deficiencies, and shade matching ease varied based on matice. Full article

Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) include ocular, visuoperceptive, and visuospatial impairments, which can occur as a result of the underlying neurodegenerative process. Ocular impairments can affect various aspects of vision and eye movement. Thus, patients can show dry eyes, blepharospasm, reduced blink rate, saccadic eye movement abnormalities, smooth pursuit deficits, and impaired voluntary and reflexive eye movements. Furthermore, visuoperceptive impairments affect the ability to perceive and recognize visual stimuli accurately, including impaired contrast sensitivity and reduced visual acuity, color discrimination, and object recognition. Visuospatial impairments are also remarkable, including difficulties perceiving and interpreting spatial relationships between objects and difficulties judging distances or navigating through the environment. Moreover, PD patients can present visuospatial attention problems, with difficulties attending to visual stimuli in a spatially organized manner. Moreover, PD patients also show perceptual disturbances affecting their ability to interpret and determine meaning from visual stimuli. And, for instance, visual hallucinations are common in PD patients. Nevertheless, the neurobiological bases of visual-related disorders in PD are complex and not fully understood. This review intends to provide a comprehensive description of visual disturbances in PD, from sensory to perceptual alterations, addressing their neuroanatomical, functional, and neurochemical correlates. Structural changes, particularly in posterior cortical regions, are described, as well as functional alterations, both in cortical and subcortical regions, which are shown in relation to specific neuropsychological results. Similarly, although the involvement of different neurotransmitter systems is controversial, data about neurochemical alterations related to visual impairments are presented, especially dopaminergic, cholinergic, and serotoninergic systems. Full article