New Study on MCOA in Silver Dapples--Icelandic Horses

"The refractive state of the eye in Icelandic horses with the Silver mutation," a research study by Maria K. Johansson, Kim Jäderkvist Fegraeus, Gabriella Lindgren, and Björn Ekesten was published on June 2, 2017.  In light of recent research showing that Comtois horses with the silver dapple mutation had "significantly deeper anterior chambers of the eye compared to wild-type horses" that could potentially result in refractive errors, the researchers decided to look at Icelandic horses with the same mutation to see if they have refractive issues.

The researchers examines 152 Icelandics horses--71 horses that were heterozygous (CT) for the mutation and 5 that were homozygous (TT).
 

Results and Conclusion:


"The interaction between age and genotype had a significant impact on the refractive state (P = 0.0001). CT horses older than 16 years were on average more myopic than wild-type horses of the same age. No difference in the refractive state could be observed between genotypes (CT and CC) in horses younger than 16 years. TT horses were myopic (−2 D or more) in one or both eyes regardless of age.

Our results indicate that an elderly Icelandic horse (older than 16 years) carrying the Silver mutation is more likely to be myopic than a wild-type horse of the same age."

You can read the entire study at:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12917-017-1059-7

You can read my more in-depth research article on MCOA in Icelandics at:
https://blessiblog.blogspot.com/p/mcoa.html