Achromatopsia

Deanna Shaffer
PSYC POST 1
Perception
Dr. Berg

     What Is Achromatopsia?
      Achromatopsia is a genetic disorder where someone cannot see color. Illumination and vibrancy are unavailable to the individual with congenital achromatopsia due to a lesion that effects almost all or all of the cones located within the retina of the eye. Someone with this congenital disorder, which is almost always genetic, will rely only on their rods within the retina to visually see. The results are color-blindness either completely or almost complete color blindness.

     What is Perception like without Color?
                             "My vision is like an out of focus, over-exposed black and white film.
                                And if it's a sunny day out there it will be completely over-exposed;
                                                                   I'll only see white."
                                                                                                  - Caitlin Smith, Singer and Songwriter

     There are four profound problems of Achromatopsia. They include day blindness, profound colorblindness, reduced visual acuity,  and nystagmus. Hemerlopia (day blindness) is a severe intolerance to light that can severely impair someones vision. From the quote above imagine a black and white movie... when the movie films the sun it appears to be a large circle of blaring white. Profound colorblindness is the lack of color vision or no color vision at all. People with achromatopsia have trouble seeing objects for what they are. This is due to the fact that most people recognize objects by their color. Without color recognition is depleted. Reduced Visual Acuity is the loss of cone cells within the retina. The area of the eye that holds some of our sharpest vision is now affected tremendously. Nystagmus is the shaking or movement of the eyes. Achromatopsia has shown to affect the nystagmus because that controls the perception of how objects present themselves.

    
Source of article: http://www.achromatopsia.info/
Source of video: http://www.youtu.be/CFBuwlXCEZ8