Gender Based Difference in Color Vision in Myopic Subjects

Myopia is a refractory error of the eye generally produced due to elongation of the antero-posterior diameter. Since color vision i.e. ability to discriminate different colors is the function of photoreceptors-cones in the retinal layer of the eye, there seemed a need to view if elongation of AP diameter of myopic subjects produces some consequence in the color detection ability of eye in comparison to normal individuals which might of course be within normal range. Further, a gender based comparison placed the study still ahead. Study was undertaken on equal number of 192 emmetropic & myopic (corrected) males and 192 emmetropic & myopic (corrected) female subjects aged 17–20 yrs. The test was performed in bright sunlight by the help of ‘20 test color strips and 2 matching shade charts’ based on Farnsworth –Munsell 100 hue (FM100) test. On univariate analysis and one way ANOVA, female subjects showed statistically significant better matching of colors in comparison to their male counter parts i.e. female myopic subjects can see more range of colors in comparison to male emmetropic as well as myopic subjects.