Artikel
Colour vision disturbances in patients with primary tinnitus
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Autoren
Veröffentlicht: | 22. September 2004 |
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Gliederung
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Objective
In a previous study, patients with sudden hearing loss developed an acquired colour vision disturbance. The object of the present study was to test the colour vision of patients with chronical tinnitus.
Methods
Thirty patients (f:m=16:14, age: 18-69 years) with chronical tinnitus were included and compared with twenty age-related controls (f:m=11:9). Exlusion criteria were eye and general diseases. Beside the ophthalmological examinations (visual acuity, refraction, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp and fundus examination) the colour-vision was tested by the colour-arrangement test Roth 28-hue (E) desaturated monocularly under standard conditions: The background used was black cardboard, illuminated by two Osram fluorescent lamps (L36W/12LDL Daylight) providing 2000 lux at the test table.
Results
Ophthalmological examination in all subjects was without pathological findings. The patients with tinnitus had a significantly higher mean error score (median ± mean absolute deviation: 117±71.0; Mann-Whitney-U-Test: p<0.01) than did the control group (median ± mean absolute deviation: 48.0±31.5) in the colour-arrangement test. A particular colour axis (blue-yellow or red-green) was not found.
Conclusions
Primary tinnitus is associated with a disturbed microcirculation which could be responsible for the acquired colour vision disturbances. This has to be taken into account in colour vision testing of ocular diseases.