Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Color-mediated contrast sensitivity in disabled readers.

R T Solman¹, S J Dain, S L Keech

¹Human Visual Performance Research Unit, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia.

Optometry and Vision Science : Official Publication of the American Academy of Optometry

|May 1, 1991

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The RailCorp Lantern test.

Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2011

Same author

Spatial load factor in prediction of reading performance.

Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·2004

Same author

Ultraviolet properties of Australian mammal urine.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2004

Same author

Is the perception of brightness different in poor readers?

Vision research·2003

Same author

Assessment of fogging resistance of anti-fog personal eye protection.

Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·2000

Same author

Daylight simulators and colour vision tests.

Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·1999

Same journal

Comparison of neutralization and disinfection kinetics in povidone iodine- and hydrogen peroxide-based soft contact lens care solutions.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

Same journal

Agreement between ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer metrics from widefield optical coherence tomography and Goldmann II, III, and V in glaucoma.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

Same journal

Repeatability of SpotChecks contrast sensitivity test in macular disease.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

Same journal

Reflections on emerging therapies for inherited retinal diseases following a community education event: A qualitative exploration.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

Same journal

Optical myopia control interventions: Evaluation of methods and success in a real-world population.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

Same journal

Influence of corneal endothelial cell density after penetrating keratoplasty on contact lens induced corneal swelling.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2026

See all related articles

Colored filters may not help children with reading disabilities. While some filters worsened contrast sensitivity in disabled readers, they had little effect on good readers, suggesting potential but unproven benefits.

Area of Science:

Visual processing
Developmental psychology
Ophthalmology

Background:

Reading disabilities are linked to impaired processing of transient visual stimuli.
The use of colored filters to aid reading-disabled children is a debated topic.
Understanding contrast sensitivity is crucial for visual perception and reading.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of individually selected colored filters on contrast sensitivity in reading-disabled children compared to good readers.
To assess the potential of colored lenses in mitigating visual processing deficits associated with reading disability.

Main Methods:

Compared contrast sensitivity thresholds in 20 reading-disabled children and 20 good readers across a spatial frequency range (0.4–12.8 cpd).
Measured contrast sensitivity functions under four conditions: individually selected best (BEST) and worst (WORST) colored filters, a neutral density filter (GRAY), and an untinted filter (CLEAR).

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Individually selected "best" colored filters significantly reduced contrast sensitivity in reading-disabled children, particularly at higher spatial frequencies relevant to print.
Good readers showed minimal changes in contrast sensitivity with their best filters.
These findings contrast with the hypothesis that colored filters universally benefit reading-disabled individuals.

Conclusions:

Individually selected colored filters may negatively impact contrast sensitivity in reading-disabled children, contrary to some prior suggestions.
The results suggest colored filters might influence transient-on-sustained inhibition, but their efficacy as a remediation technique for reading disability is not supported by this study.
Further research is needed to explore the complex interaction between visual processing, colored filters, and reading development, but current findings caution against their widespread prescription.