Evaluating the level of visual acuity to minimise false-positives in different colour vision tests

ABSTRACT

Clinical relevance

Accurate colour vision assessment is important in clinical settings to minimise false-positive errors and enhance the reliability of diagnoses outcomes.

Background

Colour vision testing is valuable in assessing the visual system, particularly given the high proportion of individuals with poor vision. This study aimed to determine the minimum visual acuity level required to perform a colour-vision test without errors.

Methods

After fogging the right eyes of 52 healthy participants using plus lenses to 1.60 logMAR, vision was evaluated using Ishihara, Hardy – Rand – Rittler Standard Isochromatic, Waggoner Pseudo-isochromatic, City University, Waggoner Computerised, and Farnsworth D-15 tests. Participants then completed these tests at lower fogging degrees (in 0.1-logMAR intervals). The acuity at which 5% of the tested population was considered abnormal was determined.

Results

Significant differences were found in the average visual acuity required to perform colour vision tests without errors (p < 0.05). The Waggoner Computerized test required the highest average visual acuity among the tests utilised. The Farnsworth D-15 test yielded the highest logMAR values. No significant differences were observed between the Waggoner Pseudo-isochromatic test and Hardy – Rand – Rittler Standard Isochromatic, Ishihara, and Farnsworth D-15 tests (p > 0.05). Additionally, no significant differences were found between the Ishihara and Hardy – Rand – Rittler tests (p > 0.1) or between the Waggoner Computerized and City University tests (p = 0.11). Colour vision testing maintained an accuracy ≤ 1.0 logMAR with the Ishihara and Hardy – Rand – Rittler tests, 1.1 logMAR with the Waggoner Pseudo-isochromatic and Farnsworth D-15 tests, and 0.9 logMAR with the Waggoner Computerized and City University tests.

Conclusions

Insights are provided into the visual acuity thresholds required for accurate colour vision testing, which can serve as a basis for future research and provide a reference for clinical practice in this field.

KEYWORDS:

• Colour vision
• D-15 test
• Ishihara test
• visual acuity

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the College of Applied Medical Sciences Research Centre and the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this study. The authors also thank Waggoner Diagnostic for supplying the Waggoner Comp software.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The College of Applied Medical Sciences Research Centre and Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University funded this research.