Psychology

Event Title

The Relationship between Color Vision and Sleep

Presenter Information

Rodolfo Duarte, Wabash College

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Location

Indianapolis, IN

Subject Area

Psychology

Start Date

11-4-2014 12:00 PM

End Date

11-4-2014 12:59 PM

Description

We are testing our hypothesis that reduced blue light transmission in the retina causes circadian rhythm disturbances among the elderly with blue-yellow color blindness (tritanopia). Circadian rhythms are regulated by melanopsin, a molecule in the eye that captures blue light. Yellow lenses filter out the amount of blue light reaching the retina, and a study by Pokorny et al., (1987) has shown that our lenses yellow as we age, therefore there may be a higher incidence of yellow lens in the elderly (Pokorny, Smith & Lutze, 1987). This has been shown to cause sleep disturbances (Kessel, Siganos, Jørgensen & Larsen, 2011). We want to know if tritanopia (blue-yellow colorblindness) might further disrupt circadian rhythms, beyond that due to lens yellowing. The reduced stimulation of blue light to the ipRGC's has also been shown in species of fish, Aequidens pulcher, Labeotropheus fuelleborni (Pauers et al., 2012), humans and macaque monkeys' retina (anatomically not behaviorally) (Dacey et al., 2005) to disrupt circadian rhythms. Tritanopia is caused by malfunctioning blue cones and evidence shows that in addition to melanopsin, the cone system also regulates circadian rhythms (Pauers et al., 2012; Dacey et al., 2005). Participants will be tested for tritanopia using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. If the participant is believed to be tritanopic a saliva sample will be taken for DNA verification of tritanopia. Lens yellowing will be estimated by determining blue-yellow heterochromatic flicker luminance ratios in the fovea and 15° in the periphery. Data collection is underway.

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Apr 11th, 12:00 PM Apr 11th, 12:59 PM

The Relationship between Color Vision and Sleep

Indianapolis, IN

We are testing our hypothesis that reduced blue light transmission in the retina causes circadian rhythm disturbances among the elderly with blue-yellow color blindness (tritanopia). Circadian rhythms are regulated by melanopsin, a molecule in the eye that captures blue light. Yellow lenses filter out the amount of blue light reaching the retina, and a study by Pokorny et al., (1987) has shown that our lenses yellow as we age, therefore there may be a higher incidence of yellow lens in the elderly (Pokorny, Smith & Lutze, 1987). This has been shown to cause sleep disturbances (Kessel, Siganos, Jørgensen & Larsen, 2011). We want to know if tritanopia (blue-yellow colorblindness) might further disrupt circadian rhythms, beyond that due to lens yellowing. The reduced stimulation of blue light to the ipRGC's has also been shown in species of fish, Aequidens pulcher, Labeotropheus fuelleborni (Pauers et al., 2012), humans and macaque monkeys' retina (anatomically not behaviorally) (Dacey et al., 2005) to disrupt circadian rhythms. Tritanopia is caused by malfunctioning blue cones and evidence shows that in addition to melanopsin, the cone system also regulates circadian rhythms (Pauers et al., 2012; Dacey et al., 2005). Participants will be tested for tritanopia using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. If the participant is believed to be tritanopic a saliva sample will be taken for DNA verification of tritanopia. Lens yellowing will be estimated by determining blue-yellow heterochromatic flicker luminance ratios in the fovea and 15° in the periphery. Data collection is underway.