Visual perception alterations in COVID-19: a preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Neuroscience

Background:

• COVID-19 has been associated with various neurological and systemic complications.
• The impact of COVID-19 on visual perception, including color and contrast vision, remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the visual perception (color and contrast vision) of COVID-19 patients with healthy controls.
• To assess visual perception at the time of infection and at a 6-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 25 COVID-19 patients and 16 healthy controls were recruited.
• Visual perception was assessed using the Optopad test, measuring contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and color vision.
• Comparisons were made between groups and over time using appropriate statistical tests.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly worse contrast sensitivity across various spatial frequencies compared to controls.
• Impaired color vision was observed in COVID-19 patients for most color mechanisms.
• These visual deficits persisted at the 6-month follow-up, even after recovery.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary evidence suggests that COVID-19 can lead to persistent impairments in visual perception.
• Analysis of contrast sensitivity function and color vision may offer insights into the visual sequelae of COVID-19.
• Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms behind these visual disturbances.