How different color-sensitive cells help the eye focus
Official title: A Randomized, Repeated-measures Study to Evaluate the Contributions of Different Cone Photoreceptor Classes to a Step Ocular Accommodation Task
Run by Rochester Institute of Technology · NCT07691463 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests how the eye's color-sensitive cells contribute to focusing by showing shapes in different colors and measuring eye focus in healthy adults.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | Any age to 35 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Rochester Institute of Technology Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Rochester, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 2, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 15, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 15, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 17, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07691463 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are healthy adults 18–35 with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no history of epilepsy or other disqualifying conditions.
✕Probably not a fit
Participants with vision worse than 20/20 with correction, those pregnant, or with conditions prohibiting prolonged stillness for measurements may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Healthy adults aged 18 to 35 will view color-varied shapes while a focus-adjustable lens changes the perceived distance. Researchers will use a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor to measure how the eye focuses in real time as colors are tuned to selectively stimulate cone types. The color-contrast patterns are designed to modulate L-, M-, and S-cone activity in specific ways to see how color influences accommodation. Gabor patterns presented through a Badal relay are used to control image distance while accommodation is measured.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could inform how color and cone signals influence focusing, potentially guiding improvements in vision tests and eyewear design.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies in ocular optics and accommodation have shown measurable effects of color on focus using wavefront measurements.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Between 18-35 years of age * Normal or corrected-to-normal (glasses/contact lenses) vision. Exclusion Criteria: * Vision worse than 20/20 while wearing glasses / contact lenses. * Fragile or loose teeth (participants need to bite a piece of dental clay to stabilize their heads so that measurements can be taken from their eyes) * Current pregnancy (experiment requires sitting down without moving for stretches of time) * Heart disease * Personal/familial history of epilepsy
Where it's running
-
Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science
Rochester, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Benjamin M Chin, Doctorate
- Email: bmccis@rit.edu
- Phone: 8454534320
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
What your eyes do when you focus after looking at close-up images
The study tests how quickly and accurately the eye focuses before and after looking at a computer screen up close in young adults.
-
Multisensory Cues and Craving in Young Adult Binge Drinkers
This study tests how young adults who binge drink respond to alcohol-related cues using visual cues alone and combined senses (sight, touch, and smell) to see how neural responses relate to craving.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.