It’s Not All Black And White – Life Really Does Look Grey When You Feel Blue
The world really is a darker place for people with depression.
Research carried out in Germany has shown that when people feel down they really do see a greyer world.
The eyesight issues are linked to how the retina responds to contrast sensitivity which affects the quality of vision. Researchers investigated retinal contrast sensitivity in 40 patients with and 40 without depression.
When the groups looked at a checkerboard – a square of alternate small black and white squares -measurements were taken which showed that the depressed people had a dramatic reduction in their response to contrast changes – the black squares became lighter and the white squares appeared darker so the images they saw appeared overall more grey.
The usual eye chart used in eye tests shows crisp black letters of varying sizes against a white background in well lit conditions; but the world is full of shades of grey (especially during winter in Northern Europe), and it is important to also measure contrast sensitivity. People hampered by low contrast sensitivity will have problems seeing distinct images in certain conditions.
“It’s the difference between seeing a zebra in the field or a grey horse”, Glenn told me using an African bush analogy. “You can tell which animal you are looking at by seeing the stripes of different colours.”
Giraffes in the rain in Kenya (taken by Glenn)
Meanwhile in dim city streets low contrast sensitivity can cause a person, for instance, to trip on a curb when they are unable to differentiate between the edge of the pavement and the road. It can also cause problems with night driving with the possibility of not seeing pedestrians wearing dark colours.
“If it is lower for any reason after surgery – although this is rare with modern lasers – we would treat those components and then it would revert to how it was before.
“That is why we measure contrast sensitivity at the three month check up – not after one month – because it needs time for any residual swelling or dry eye to settle down. This is why, sometimes, in the early days after Laser Eye Surgery, night vision might appear a bit fuzzy.”
Knowledge Dispels Fear
London Vision Clinic
138 Harley Street
London
W1G 7LA
United Kingdom
We use cookies to ensure you have the best experience on our website. Find out more in our Privacy Policy. OK
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.