Observations on color vision testing in ocular hypertension and glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Ocular hypertension (OHT) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) are leading causes of vision loss.
• Early detection of visual field defects, including color vision changes, is crucial for timely intervention.
• The impact of early-stage OHT and POAG on color vision requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of six different color vision tests in detecting early visual deficits.
• To compare color vision performance in patients with newly diagnosed and long-term OHT and POAG against a control group.
• To identify the most sensitive tests for detecting early blue color vision defects in OHT and POAG.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 48 patients (58 eyes) with OHT or POAG and 16 controls (31 eyes) aged 60-69 years participated.
• Six color vision tests were administered: Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates Part 2, Farnsworth Panel D 15, Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue (FM 100) test, Lanthony Desaturated Panel, Nagel anomaloscope, and Besançon anomalometer.
• Statistical analysis compared color vision test results between patient groups and controls.

Main Results:

• Newly diagnosed OHT eyes without treatment showed significant differences in blue color vision compared to controls.
• Long-term OHT eyes under treatment did not differ significantly from controls.
• Newly diagnosed POAG eyes without treatment exhibited significant deficits in the FM 100 test and blue anomalometer.
• Long-term POAG eyes under treatment showed significant differences only in the blue anomalometer.
• The FM 100 test (Box IV) and blue anomalometer were most effective in identifying early blue color vision defects in newly diagnosed OHT.

Conclusions:

• Early, untreated OHT and POAG can lead to detectable blue color vision deficits.
• Color vision testing, particularly with the blue anomalometer and FM 100 test, aids in early detection of these conditions.
• Treatment appears to mitigate or halt further color vision deterioration in long-term OHT and POAG patients.