Development and validation of a novel and graded colour saturation threshold test, the LSS-8

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Acquired colour vision defects are common in retinal and optic nerve disorders.
• Existing clinical tests for colour vision are often time-consuming or unsuitable for acquired conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the novel LSS-8 test for quantifying colour saturation thresholds.
• To assess the reliability and screen independence of the LSS-8 test in a diverse patient population.

Main Methods:

• The LSS-8 test measures colour saturation thresholds across eight hues.
• Three cohorts were tested: reliability (LSS-4), screen independence (LSS-8 on different screen sizes), and brightness independence (LSS-8 at varying brightness levels).
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess reliability.

Main Results:

• The LSS-4 test demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.87 for all hues and total score).
• The LSS-8 test showed excellent reliability for several hues and total scores across different screen sizes (ICC 0.74-0.98).
• Varying screen brightness had minimal impact on test scores for most participants.

Conclusions:

• The LSS (Light Saturation Sensitivity) test is a simple and reliable tool for assessing acquired colour vision defects.
• The LSS-8 test offers potential for rapid and accurate quantification of colour vision changes in clinical settings.