Mesopic Visual Contrast Sensitivity in Patients with Major Depression

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effects of major depression on visual contrast sensitivity (CS) at low mesopic luminance (.7 cd/m 2 mean luminance), a condition that has been little explored in the literature. We measured spatial visual CS in 20 male volunteers aged 20 -30 years, including 10 healthy individuals and 10 medicated individuals with major depression, to linear sine-wave gratings of .25, 1.0, and 4.0 cycles per degree (cpd) of visual angle using the psychophysical staircase method with forced choice. The average spatial visual CS in the depressed group was approximately 1.7 lower than the average spatial visual CS in the control group. However, the post hoc test showed significant differences only at the spatial frequencies of .25 and 1.0 cpd (p < .05), which are likely processed by the magnocellular visual pathway. These results suggest that spatial visual CS to sine-wave gratings should be used to evaluate the responsiveness of the visual system in patients with major depression under conditions of low luminance.

Stable abnormalities of contrast discrimination sensitivity in subthreshold depression: A longitudinal study

“…Using a greater sample size, a later study found that both SAD patients (n = 46) and non-seasonally depressed patients (n = 17) had greater contrast sensitivity in static Gabors with a high spatial frequency, compared with healthy controls (n = 25; Wesner & Tan, 2006). In contrast, several studies found that contrast sensitivity for MDD patients was weaker than that for controls (Bubl et al, 2009;Fam et al, 2013;Nogueira et al, 2013). These inconsistent results might reflect differences in visual functioning for different subtypes of depression.…”

“…A few studies have directly examined the differences in contrast sensitivity between MDD and healthy controls (Bubl et al, 2009; Fam et al, 2013; Murphy et al, 1993; Nogueira et al, 2013; Szabó et al, 2004; Wesner & Tan, 2006), and have produced inconsistent results. Two of these studies failed to find significant differences between MDD with a seasonal pattern (also called seasonal affective disorder [SAD]) and healthy controls on contrast sensitivity (Murphy et al, 1993; Szabó et al, 2004).…”

A Short Review of Factors and Interventions for Reducing Depression

“…Improving cognitive functioning (information processing speed, attention control, short term memory, learning and cognitive planning, sensory discrimination) is important for diminishing the negative effects from depression [21,22]. Self-expression by means of overt and assertive behaviour, as well as self-realization give the possibilities for students' improved cognitive functioning in the academic environment [23], and aesthetic experiences in the learning process also contribute to positive emotions and further development of cognitive functioning by means of complex processing of information [24].…”

Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Color Vision but not Olfactory Function in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease

“…7 Previous research on major depressive disorder has suggested that the severity of depressive symptoms is correlated with the visual system in several aspects. [8][9][10] In addition, several studies reported that older individuals with visual impairment had a higher prevalence of depression compared with their peers with normal vision. 11,12 Over 60% of women with endogenous depression showed disturbed color vision in a previous study.…”