Color vision testing

1. Color deficiency occurs in about 8% of the population, due to alterations in the chemistry of one of the three receptive pigments for colored light, or the substitution of one pigment for another in the photoreceptor cones. 2. Subjects with pigment alteration can see a broad range of color; those with substitution of one pigment for another have broad areas of color perception defect. 3. The most common tests are pseudoisochromatic (color confusion) plates, designed with patterns hidden to the color deficient. Other tests use colored caps, tracing patterns, or an anomaloscope.