Avaliação da percepção visual de cor em adultos com transtorno depressivo maior e parentes de primeiro grau

Abstract

The present dissertation investigated whether color perception is affected in adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and first-degree relatives when compared with non-affected individuals. The discrimination thresholds for the Protan, Deutan and Tritan axes of confusion (Trivector) were used as parameters; the area of the MacAdam ellipse and its ellipticity (Ellipse), which correspond to the Cambridge Coulor Test; and measurements of the Lanthony Desaturat Test D-15 that were the Coulor Confusion Index (ICC). The sample consisted of 21 volunteers, 8 with MDD (Study Group 1), 5 first-degree relatives of those individuals with MDD (Study Group 2) and 8 healthy individuals, free of any identifiable pathologies (Control Group). All participants were submitted to the Beck II Depression and Anxiety Inventory, as well as to sociodemographic questionnaires and to the informed consent form. The results showed significant differences with p < .05 between the three groups in the Lanthony D15 color discrimination tests, CCT Trivector protocol and Ellipses. There were no significant differences between GE1 and GE2 at p > .05. This may have been due to the reduced number of the sample and also because the participants of the GE1 did not present serious levels of MDD. Therefore, the research hypothesis was consistent with the assumption that the impairment for color perception could present changes in patients with major depressive disorder and relatives of individuals with MDD, when compared with healthy controls, where this was confirmed. It is suggested that new studies be performed with a larger sample number and with the majority of the participants of the GE1 with severe MDD.