Assessment of the Potential for Color Overlays to Enhance the Reading Skills of Enlisted Navy Recruits

Abstract

Meares Irlen Syndrome (MIS) is a perceptual difficulty associated with visual complaints that appear to be largely alleviated by individually selected color overlay(s) or tinted lenses. The current study was designed to assess the prevalence of MIS symptoms in Navy recruits and evaluate the effectiveness of color overlays in improving reading skills. Based on a self-reported questionnaire, 34.6% of the enlisted Navy members were symptomatic of MIS, more than the number estimated in the general population. A subset of the sample with moderate to severe MIS symptoms was selected to evaluate the effectiveness of color overlays as an intervention. Readers with MIS symptoms read significantly faster with their chosen overlay than without it. These findings justify further research on overlays as a tool to improve reading skills in individuals with MIS symptoms.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 30, 2006
Accession Number
ADA531671

Entities

People

  • Chidiebere U. Ekenna-kalu
  • Nausheen Momen

Organizations

  • Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Applied Psychology
  • Asthenopia
  • Biomedical Research
  • Contact Lenses
  • Education
  • Eye Diseases
  • Great Lakes
  • Intervention
  • Materials
  • Medical Personnel
  • Naval Personnel
  • Optics
  • Psychology
  • Questionnaires
  • Students
  • Training

Readers

  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Vision Science/Vision Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience.