When blue fades to grey
Francis Sedgemore, Wednesday 21 July 2010 at 10:49 UTC
If you are feeling blue, and the world looks distinctly grey, there is an objective biological reason for the latter. According to researchers in Freiburg, people suffering from clinical depression have difficulty in detecting differences in black and white contrast.
In their work, Ludger Tebartz van Elst and his colleagues measured the opthalmic analogue of the electrocardiogram, and detected in these ‘pattern electroretinograms’ a dramatically lower contrast gain in depressed subjects, whether or not they were taking antidepressant drugs. The researchers also found a correlation between contrast gain and severity of depression.
Van Elst says that, if the findings can be replicated in further studies, the method outlined by his research group could provide a valuable tool to measure the subjective state of depression, and thus be useful in clinical diagnosis and therapy.
Further reading: Bubl et al., “Seeing gray when feeling blue? Depression can be measured in the eye of the diseased”, Biological Psychiatry 68, 205 (2010)
Feed the writer! 
Wednesday 21 July 2010 at 15:14 UTC
Thanks for this one Francis…fascinating.
Wouldn’t it be something to be able to objectively measure something as subjective as mood…
Wednesday 21 July 2010 at 15:18 UTC
Psychiatry has yet to progress much beyond voodoo science, so yes, it would be something to measure the severity of depression, a mental illness which afflicts many.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 08:28 UTC
Do you mind if I cross-post this one?
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 09:32 UTC
Stuart – quote and comment, as you will, but cross-posting in full is not acceptable.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 10:35 UTC
Understood, thanks…
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 10:48 UTC
[...] Francis Sedgemore has highlighted some intriguing research from the world of psychiatry, which may for the first time allow us to objectively measure something as subjective as mood. This from Francis: ……people suffering from clinical depression have difficulty in detecting differences in black and white contrast. [...]
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 10:54 UTC
Put this one up, so would you have a quick gander to make sure you’re happy and if so I’ll do this in the future.
The hardship comes in that you are so darn succinct and well written it’s hard to cut any out. Normally it’s easy as folks waffle, but not you!
If you are feeling blue, then the world looks distinctly grey
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 10:58 UTC
That’s fine, Stuart, though you seem to have buggered up the link to your post.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 11:54 UTC
If you are feeling blue, then the world looks distinctly grey
There we go and should work fine now. I love this blog by the way, and I know how you feel about religion, but don’t care frankly, as fascinating is fascinating period.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 11:58 UTC
I’m mostly harmless.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 12:29 UTC
So no solution yet for that dirty-green sky I see each morning and the blue egg yolk then… Ehehe.
Thursday 22 July 2010 at 12:37 UTC
Father Jack is NOT a role model, Snoopy! Keep away from the toilet cleaner. Understand?