Color discrimination in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca before and after artificial tear application.

BACKGROUND

The precorneal tear film is of decisive importance for the optical quality of the cornea. Poor stability of this film causes not only dry eye symptoms, but also has negative effects on optical functions of the eye, as previous studies on visual acuity, field test performance and contrast sensitivity have shown.

METHODS

60 patients with dry eyes randomized into 2 groups of 30 underwent color vision testing with the Lanthony Desaturated 15 Hue test before and after instillation of artificial tear (test group) or physiological saline (control group) drops.

RESULTS

The improvement in color discrimination in the group given artificial tear treatment was found to be slightly better than in the saline group but in both groups this improvement was not of statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

Even though an unstable tear film adversely affects the optics of the eye and even mildly degraded optics can affect spatial visual tasks, color discrimination performance on tasks such as the Lanthony D-15 test does not appear to be markedly impaired.