Development and validation of a new colour vision screener: A multi‐centre study

Abstract

Aims/Purpose: The detection of acquired and congenital colour vision deficiency is of importance in the clinic for the early detection of ocular disease and determination of occupational suitability. Conventional methods of colour vision screening often fail to pass all normals and/or correctly identify those with acquired and congenital colour vision deficiency. The Colour Vision Screener (CVS) test [1] was developed to utilize an improved understanding of colour vision mechanisms to overcome the limitations present in conventional colour screening methods. This study aimed to use a robust multi‐centre methodology to fully validate the CVS test.Methods: Over 400 participants, including 124 normal trichromats, 166 deutans and 62 protans, were recruited from 10 international Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) testing centres. Each participant completed the CVS and the CAD test with calibrated visual displays. The red/green (RG) and yellow/blue (YB) CVS test sensitivity and specificity were established. The RG statistics were compared to the ‘gold standard’ reference for screening for RG congenital colour vision deficiency—the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plate test.Results: The CVS test correctly identified ~99.1% of normal trichromats. All subjects with congenital RG loss and acquired loss on top of congenital RG deficiency were identified as having abnormal colour vision by the CVS. The Ishihara test, based upon 0 errors on the first 25 plates of the 38‐plate edition, correctly identifies ~80.6% of normal trichromats and 99.5% of subjects with congenital RG loss.Conclusions: Data collected across 10 international CAD centres demonstrate that the CVS can achieve a high sensitivity without sacrificing specificity. This multi‐centre study demonstrates that the CVS is quick, efficient, and easy to use and allows for the rapid and reliable screening of congenital and acquired colour vision deficiencies in large populations.Reference1. Barbur JL, Rodriguez‐Carmona M, Evans BEW. Colour vision assessment‐3. An efficient, two‐step, colour assessment protocol. Colour Research & Application 2021; 46: 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1002/col.22599