Studies on anomalous trichromacy in humans and non-human primates using a computerized test of color discrimination and genetic analysis of opsin genes.

• Grant number: 19/14606-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Dora Selma Fix Ventura
• Grantee: Leonardo Dutra Henriques
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/26818-2 - Development and implementation of visual evaluation methods: clinical applications and animal models, AP.TEM

Abstract

Color vision plays a very important role in the survival and development of primates. The ability to visually discriminate the target from a background solely by the difference in hue may be the differential for both the search for food and for the escape of predators. In old-world primates, including humans, we observe the presence of three types of cones in the retina and a trichromatic vision for both sexes. However, some genetic and optical problems may cause a change in the sensitivity of some of these types of cones so that they remain functional but exhibit a distinct behavior from the pattern for the species. In Neotropical primates such as the capuchin monkey (Sapajus spp.), we observe a polymorphism in which males are always dichromats and females can be either di or trichromats, with variations between the types of cones even among trichromats females, presenting an intrinsic variability similar to some alterations found in humans. These characteristics make these females a good model for assessing trichromatic vision variations. In this project, we will try to adapt computerized tests already used to discriminate dichromats from trichromats and to adapt them to discriminate also between anomalous trichromacy varieties. In this work we will evaluate three humans and three female capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) that will be genotyped and we will search for chromatic visual patterns that will enable to distinguish them from trichromatic subjects with only computerized evaluation.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

HENRIQUES, LEONARDO DUTRA; HAUZMAN, EINAT; OLIVEIRA BONCI, DANIELA MARIA; CHANG, BELINDA S. W.; PEREIRA CARNEIRO MUNIZ, JOSE AUGUSTO; SOUZA, GIVAGO DA SILVA; DE LIMA SILVEIRA, LUIZ CARLOS; GALVAO, OLAVO DE FARIA; KILPP GOULART, PAULO RONEY; VENTURA, DORA FIX. Uniform trichromacy in Alouatta caraya and Alouatta seniculus: behavioural and genetic colour vision evaluation. Frontiers in Zoology, v. 18, n. 1, JUL 8 2021. (18/09321-8, 19/14606-4, 14/26818-2, 14/25743-9)

HENRIQUES, LEONARDO DUTRA; THERA SKALOS, AMALIA GALEN; FITZGERALD, MALINDA E. C.; VENTURA, DORA FIX; SOUZA, GIVAGO DA SILVA; COSTA, MARCELO FERNANDES. Development and Evaluation of a Dynamic Computerized Visual Acuity Test for Children and Adults. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, v. 61, n. 7, p. 3-pg., 2020-06-01. (14/26818-2, 19/14606-4)