Changes in Colour Discrimination during the Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

A group of normal women of reproductive age were recruited to investigate colour discrimination during the various phases of the menstrual cycle. Colour vision was tested with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue arrangement test, and the test was administered at 3 time points: the beginning of the cycle, ovulation, and the end of the cycle. We found that colour discrimination was better at ovulation than at the other 2 time points. It is possible that psychological as well as hormonal factors could contribute to improved colour vision performance at ovulation.