Abstract

The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue color test has been used extensively in studying the effects of many types of ocular pathology on the performance of the color mediating mechanisms. Many recent reports show that color discrimination performance as measured by the 100-Hue test is affected early in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) as well as other optic nerve and retinal disorders. These studies typically demonstrate statistical significance of the effect of the disease process on color vision for pooled data from well defined patient and normal control groups. However, clinical usefulness of color test procedures depends upon the successful application on a prognostic basis of the group results to individual patients at risk. In this context we have identified a learning artifact associated with current routine use of the 100-Hue test which complicates the interpretation of repeat tests in following disease progression and which interferes with test protocols that require repetitive testing at one or more sessions such as occurs with the measurement of intensity-response functions.

© 1987 Optical Society of America