A New Color Vision Test to Differentiate Congenital and Acquired Color Vision Defects
Received 7 June 2006; accepted 16 October 2006. published online 12 February 2007.
Purpose
To investigate the efficacy of a novel computer-controlled color test for the differentiation of congenital and acquired color vision deficiency.
Design
Observational cross-sectional study.
Participants
Thirty-one patients with congenital color vision deficiency and 134 patients with acquired color vision deficiency with a Snellen visual acuity better than 20/30 underwent an ophthalmologic examination including the Ishihara color test, Hardy-Rand-Rittler test, Nagel anomaloscopy, and the Seohan computerized hue test between June, 2003, and January, 2004.
Methods
To investigate the type of color vision defect, a graph of the Seohan computerized hue test was divided into 4 quadrants and error scores in each quadrant were summated. The ratio between the sums of error scores of quadrants I and III (Q1+Q3) and those of quadrants II and IV (Q2+Q4) was calculated.
Main Outcome Measures
Error scores and ratio in quadrant analysis of the Seohan computerized hue test.
Results
The Seohan computerized hue test showed that the sum of Q2+Q4 was significantly higher than the sum of Q1+Q3 in congenital color vision deficiency (P<0.01, paired t test) and that the sum of Q2+Q4 was significantly lower than the sum of Q1+Q3 in acquired color vision deficiency (P<0.01, paired t test). In terms of discriminating congenital and acquired color vision deficiency, the ratio in quadrant analysis had 93.3% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity with a reference value of 1.5 by the Seohan computerized hue test (95% confidence interval).
Conclusions
The quadrant analysis and ratio of (Q2+Q4)/(Q1+Q3) using the Seohan computerized hue test effectively differentiated congenital and acquired color vision deficiency.
1Department of Ophthalmology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Dongguk University International Hospital, Dongguk, South Korea.
2Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Clinical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea.
3Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Correspondence to Jeong-Min Hwang, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 300, Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, South Korea.
Manuscript no. 2006-614.
Supported by the Korean Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Seoul, South Korea (grant no. 02-PJ1-PG3-20599-0011).
ABSTRACT