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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
16:49
Multifocal Electroretinograms
Published on: December 4, 2011
Color vision and fatigue: an incidental finding.
Jeffery K Hovis1, Shankaran Ramaswamy
1School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. jhovis@uwaterloo.ca
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|November 21, 2007
Summary
Sleep deprivation impairs occupational color vision tests for both color-normal individuals and those with protanopia. Fatigue affects color vision differently depending on the type of color vision deficiency and the test used.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Human Factors
Background:
- Limited research exists on the interaction between fatigue and color vision.
- Investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on color vision performance is crucial for occupational safety.
Observation:
- A protanope and a color-normal individual underwent color vision testing after sleep deprivation and normal sleep.
- Performance on clinical color vision tests remained largely unchanged.
- Performance on occupationally relevant color vision tests significantly declined after sleep deprivation.
Findings:
- The color-normal subject exhibited increased errors on a video display terminal color test.
- The protanope showed a marked increase in errors on the CN Lantern Test.
- Both subjects performed adequately on these tests after a normal night's sleep.
Implications:
- Sleep deprivation can negatively impact color vision, particularly in occupational settings.
- Fatigue exacerbates color vision deficits in protanopia, likely due to combined visual system limitations and tiredness.
- For color-normal individuals, fatigue-induced decrements in visuo-motor control may affect color perception on digital displays.
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