Age-related changes of color visual acuity in normal eyes

Purpose To evaluate the age-related change in color visual acuity (CVA) in normal eyes. Methods In total, 162 normal eyes (162 subjects, women: 52, men: 110, age range: 15-68 years) with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) >= 20/13 were enrolled. Fifteen colors from the New Color Test (chroma 6) were applied to Landolt "C" rings, white point D65 was applied as background, and a luminance of 30 cd/m(2) was set for both the rings and the background. These rings were used to measure the chromatic spatial discrimination acuity as the CVA value, while changing the stimulus size. Correlations of the CVA value of each color and age were evaluated. Mean CVA values of all 15 colors (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were compared between age groups in 10-year increments. Results Nine CVA values (red, yellow-red, red-yellow, green, blue-green, green-blue, purple, red-purple, and purple-red) were negatively correlated with age (all p<0.05); the remaining six (yellow, green-yellow, yellow-green, blue, purple-blue, and blue-purple), as well as BCVA were not. The age groups with the best to worst mean CVA values of 15 colors were as follows: 20-29 (mean standard deviation, 0.303 +/- 0.113), 30-39 (0.324 +/- 0.096), 10-19 (0.333 +/- 0.022), 50-59 (0.335 +/- 0.078), 40-49 (0.339 +/- 0.096), and 60-69 (0.379 +/- 0.125) years. There were statistically significant differences between mean CVA values of the following groups: 20-29 and 40-49 years; 20-29 and 60-69 years; 30-39 and 60-69 years (all p<0.01). Conclusions The CVA values related to the medium/long-wavelength-sensitive cones were more susceptible to aging than those related to the short-wavelength-sensitive cones. This differed from previous reports, and may be related to the difference in the range of foveal cone function evaluated with each examination.