Hue Test Research Articles

Clinical and genetic analysis of a family affected with dominant optic atrophy (OPA1)

To refine the dominant optic atrophy locus, OPA1, on chromosome 3q and to characterize the phenotype of a 6-generation family pedigree affected with this disease. Fifty-six family members had a complete eye examination. Clinical records of an additional 3 patients were reviewed. Goldmann perimetry and a 21-chip subtest of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test were performed on selected patients. Affected patients, unaffected siblings, and potentially informative spouses were genotyped with short tandem repeat polymorphisms located on chromosome 3. The genotypic data were subjected to linkage analysis. Thirty-four family members were found to be clinically affected. Most experienced vision loss (20/40 or poorer) in the first decade of life. Most (9 of the 16 eyes) progressed to 20/800 or poorer visual acuity by age 60 years, while 2 patients maintained visual acuities of 20/40 at that age. Affected patients had a 2- to 10-fold increase in the error score of a 21-chip subtest of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test compared with age-matched unaffected family members. The optic nerve examination revealed temporal pallor and excavation in all affected individuals. Linkage analysis revealed significant lod scores with 9 markers. The highest lod score, 10.1 (theta = 0) [corrected], was obtained with marker D3S2305. Analysis of recombinants narrowed the disease interval to approximately 3.8 centimorgans, flanked by D3S3669 (centromeric) and D3S1305 (telomeric). Most patients affected with dominant optic atrophy in this family progressed to legal blindness by middle age. Color vision testing is a sensitive method for detection of affected patients. The dominant optic atrophy locus, OPA1, has been refined by the identification of new flanking markers: D3S3669 (centromeric) and D3S1305 (telomeric).

Glaucoma, lighting and color vision. An investigation into their interrelationship.

The results of a study on color vision capacity performed with a view to further analyzing glaucomatous dyschromatopsia are reported. The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test was used in a population of 52 subjects (104 eyes) with daylight fluorescent lighting and low-tension halogen lighting. Photocolorimetric observations with each type of lighting were made. It was found that halogen lighting increased the glaucomatous subjects' mean score, the number of dyschromatopsia and the number of blue-yellow dyschromatopsia axes. The authors conclude that halogen lighting is preferable for the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test in glaucoma and confirm the predominance of blue-yellow dyschromatopsia axes in glaucoma.

Contrast Sensitivity and Other Vision Tests in the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial

To determine the intercorrelation, prevalence of abnormality, and incremental detection value of vision tests in optic neuritis. We calculated the linear correlation of paired vision tests and prevalence of abnormal test values from baseline and six-month measurements of Snellen visual acuity, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, Humphrey Field Analyzer mean deviation, and Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue color vision in 438 patients entered in the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial from 1988 to 1991. The incremental detection value of nonvisual acuity tests was defined as their frequency of abnormality when visual acuity was 20/20 or better. All four vision-test results were highly intercorrelated at baseline and at six months. At baseline, contrast sensitivity had the highest prevalence of abnormality, but all vision tests were so often abnormal that differences were not clinically relevant. At six months, when visual recovery had occurred, contrast sensitivity was most often abnormal (2.2 X visual acuity; 1.8 X mean deviation; 1.5 X Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue color vision test); when contrast sensitivity, mean deviation, or Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue color vision was normal, visual acuity was 20/25 or better in 98% of patients. The high intercorrelation of four vision tests suggests that optic neuritis affects a broad range of visual functions. Among non-visual acuity tests, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity proved to be a particularly practical and sensitive indicator of visual dysfunction in optic neuritis.

Color vision in patients with a silicone intraocular lens

Purpose: To test color vision in eyes with a silicone intraocular lens (IOL) and compare it with that in normal phakic eyes.Setting: University Eye Clinic of Kuopio, Finland.Methods: Color vision in 33 patients from 50 to 69 years old with a silicone IOL was evaluated with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test (FM 100) and the Color Vision Meter 712 (CVM) anomaloscope. In the FM 100 test, 37 normal phakic eyes served as controls; 21 were 50 to 59 years old and 16, 60 to 69 years old. In the CVM, 46 normal phakic eyes served as controls; 21 were 50 to 59 years old and 25, 60 to 69 years old. Nine of the 33 patients had a silicone IOL in one eye and a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) IOL in the other; the color vision in the two eyes was compared.Results: The FM 100 results showed no significant difference between the silicone IOL and control eyes. In the CVM examination, the blue equation showed a significantly greater shift to the green side (patient sees more blue) in the silicone IOL group than in the control group. Other CVM results were similar between groups. No significant difference was found in any test between the 9 PMMA IOL eyes and the contralateral silicone IOL eyes.Conclusion: Eyes with a silicone IOL had color discrimination ability similar to that of normal phakic eyes. In the blue color sensitivity test, the silicone IOL eyes had significantly better results. There were no significant differences between eyes with a silicone IOL and contralateral eyes with a PMMA IOL.

Alteration of visual function in impaired glucose tolerance.

People with impaired glucose tolerance are considered to be prone to diabetes. To evaluate their visual function we investigated colour vision with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test and contrast sensitivity with Arden's grating cards in people with imparied glucose tolerance (IGT), people with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and others with type II diabetes (NIDDM). Eyes with low vision or any anterior or posterior segment abnormalities were excluded. Contrast sensitivity and color vision differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.01). It thus appears that patients with IGT but without clinical diabetes could be followed up to see whether these alterations have any predictive value for the development of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.

Colour vision and persistent microalbuminuria in children with type-1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: a longitudinal study

In an attempt to elucidate colour vision in children with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus without fluorescein angiographic signs of retinopathy, we studied a group of 50 patients of mean age ± SD 10.27 ± 2.89 (range 8.1–13.0 years). Results were compared with a sex- and age-matched control group. The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test showed a significantly higher value in total error score (TES) in diabetics than in controls (64.07 ± 18.32 and 54.27 ± 12.87, respectively: P = 0.0004). Diabetic patients were divided in two groups as regards presence of persistent microalbuminuria and followed for 7 years. The HbA 1c values of the two groups were: normoalbuminuric 7.10 ± 2.92%, microalbuminuric 9.79 ± 1.41 ( P = 0.004). Microalbuminuric patients showed a significantly higher TES than normoalbuminuric subjects both at the beginning (94.79 ± 13.98 vs. 58.10 ± 11.98) and end of the study (103.07 ± 14.61 vs. 61.04 ± 13.36: P < 0.0001), and after follow-up they had a worse TES than at the beginning of the study ( P = 0.01); no change in TES was found in normoalbuminuric patients during the study. The results suggest that a deficit in colour vision occurs in diabetic children before the onset of fluorescein angiographic signs of retinopathy. Our follow-up shows that microalbuminuric patients present a significant worsening of colour vision. When a patient shows persistent microalbuminuria, colour vision must be carefully evaluated, also in subjects without fluorescein angiographic signs of retinopathy.

Color Vision in Parkinsonʼs Disease

In recent studies, disorders of chromatic and achromatic vision in parkinsonian patients have been demonstrated; these could be partially restored after application of L-Dopa. In this study, the effect of a 3-day infusion therapy with amantadine sulphate on color vision was evaluated in 19 parkinsonian patients by use of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test. Under this treatment, the motor symptoms of parkinsonism improved significantly as assessed by the part "motor examination" of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). However, the total error scores of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test before and after amantadine sulphate infusions were unchanged [before therapy, 94.53 (SD = 52.09); after therapy, 99.5 (SD = 58.81)]. From these results, it can be concluded that the pathophysiology of dopaminergic pathways in the visual system differs from that of the basal ganglia.

Eigenvector interpretation of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test.

We measured the reflectance spectra for the 85 color caps of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. Eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a correlation matrix of cone responses were computed, with the cone responses being determined from the 85 test caps, arranged in order (according to color) by means of a linear model. It is shown that the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test can be simulated by use of eigenvectors of the cone responses. The eigenvectors can be interpreted as nonopponent signal and opponent color signals. The normal observer can determine the color of a cap by using two opponent color signals. For color-blind persons (dichromats) one or the other opponent signal is defective, and errors can occur during the test. The simulation results also suggest that eigenvectors can be used to predict results of arrangement tests similar to the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test.

Colour vision and dark adaptation in high myopia without central retinal degeneration.

Colour vision and dark adaptation of 36 high myopes (68 eyes) without degenerative fundus changes were studied with the standard pseudoisochromatic plates part 2, Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue (FM 100) test, Nagel anomaloscope, colour vision meter 712-anomaloscope, and Goldmann-Weekers adaptometer. The ages of the myopes ranged from 20 to 49 years, the visual acuity from 6/12 to 6/6, and the refractions from -6.0 to -20.0 D. All the colour vision tests and dark adaptation examination gave normal results. However, the error scores of the myopes in (blue) box III of the FM 100 test were significantly higher than those of the controls matched for age. In dark adaptation, the rod thresholds of the myopes were significantly higher than in the controls. The stretching of the posterior pole of the eye might explain this minimal impairment of the photoreceptor layer of the retina without any visible degenerative changes in the fundus.

Distorted color discrimination in ‘de nova’ parkinsonian patients

We performed the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test in 16 "de novo" patients with Parkinson's disease and 16 age-matched controls to determine their color discrimination ability. The mean total error score in patients was significantly elevated as compared with controls (64.6 in patients versus 16.0 in controls). We conclude that the impairment of color discrimination may be an early sign in Parkinson's disease.

Changes of color vision in ocular hypertension.

Fifty-six ocular hypertension (OHT) patients were examined for 2-3 days in the Eye Clinic of Kuopio University Hospital. No glaucomatous changes were found. Twenty-seven of them were found to have several risk factors for developing glaucoma and medication was started. Twenty-nine of the patients did not show risk factors and had no medication. Color vision was examined with the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 (FM 100) hue test and Besançon anomalometer, later Color Vision Meter 712 at the beginning of the study and 3 years later. None of the 56 patients showed any glaucomatous changes after 3 years of the study. In the treatment group, the FM 100 test showed significantly (paired t-test, p = 0.004) improved error scores after 3 years. In the non-treatment group, 19 patients did not develop risk factors; they had no significant changes in the color vision results. In 10 patients of the non-treatment group, risk factors had developed with elevated intraocular pressure and medication was started for them after 3 years. Their color vision results in the blue anomalous quotient (AQ) of the anomalometer had significantly shifted to the blue part of the equation (paired t-test, p = 0.04). The other color vision results had not changed significantly. The significantly improved FM 100 scores in the treatment group could mean, that the treatment has a beneficial effect for the OHT eyes at risk for developing glaucoma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Visual function in recovered ethambutol optic neuropathy.

The visual acuity of the patient with ethambutol optic neuropathy will recover within 3 to 4 months after discontinuing the drug. We studied the extent of the recovery of other visual functions. Thirty-six axial type ethambutol optic neuropathy patients, who visited our neuro-ophthalmology clinic from January, 1990, to December, 1993, were included in this study. Fifteen patients (29 eyes) regained their visual acuity to better than 1.0. The average follow-up period following the recovery is 21.7 months. Pattern reversal VEP, Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue color vision test, critical flicker frequency (CFF), visual field perimetry, contrast sensitivity and edge-light pupil cycle time were assessed for every affected eye. Latency (P100) of visually evoked potential was delayed in 34.5% (10/29) of eyes. In color vision, 48.3% (14/29) of eyes had deutan or tritan defect. An abnormality of red CFF with value lower than 31 Hz was revealed 51.7% (15/29) eyes. In the visual field, 58.6% (17/29) of eyes had paracentral scotoma, arcuate scotoma, or enlargement of physiologic blind spot. Contrast sensitivity was depressed in 62.1% (18/29) of eyes, mainly at middle and low spatial frequency. Pupil cycle time was prolonged in 72.4% (21/29) of eyes. Aside from visual acuity, other visual functions of the recovered ethambutol optic neuropathy patients were incomplete. The extent of recovery of the visual function is as follows: visual acuity-VEPs-color sense-CFF-visual field-contrast sensitivity-pupil cycle time.

Comparison of colour discrimination and electroretinography in evaluation of visual pathway dysfunction in aretinopathic IDDM patients.

The slow progression of diabetic retinopathy makes it difficult to assess the effects of intervention therapy. There is thus a need for surrogate markers of visual change in diabetes. Colour vision tests and electroretinography (ERG) may be useful in this regard; yet little is known of their relative performance in the assessment of visual dysfunction in diabetes. The aim of the present study was to compare colour discrimination (100 hue test) and ERG indices (oscillatory potentials (OP) and pattern ERG (PERG)) in the evaluation of aretinopathic IDDM patients. Colour discrimination was abnormal in 10 aretinopathic IDDM patients when compared with nine age matched controls; mean square root 100 hue error scores were 10.38 (SD 2.89) versus 4.77 (1.87) respectively, p < 0.01. OP implicit times of the ERG were also abnormal; for example, for right eye, mean OP1 implicit time for diabetics versus OP1 implicit time for controls was 20.1 (2.0) versus 18.6 (1.4) ms, p = 0.03. Comparison of the two techniques suggested that the 100 hue test was more sensitive and more specific than ERG OP implicit times in the detection of diabetic visual dysfunction in these patients.

Pharmacological effects of dopaminergics and amantadine on color discrimination in Parkinson's disease

In recent studies disorders of chromatic and achromatic vision in Parkinsonian patients have been demonstrated, which were partially reversible after application of L-dopa. Up to now the origin of visual disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the effect of further anti-Parkinsonian drugs are unclear. In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of L-dopa, apo-morphine and amantadine on color vision in PD by means of the Farns-worth-Munsell ioo hue test (FM). Nineteen patients underwent the color vision test before and after the oral administration of the morning medication with L-dopa, 24 patients before and after subcutaneous application of apomorphine, and 19 further patients were tested before and after an infusion therapy with amantadine (200 mg/d) over three days. Under those treatment conditions the motor symptoms of Parkinsonism improved significantly in all three groups as assessed by part HI of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Before the morning medication with L-dopa t...

Afferent visual function after single dose application of -vinyl GABA

The authors studied the short term effects of a transient increase in global GABA on retinal functions. GABA is an inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system and in the retina as well, γ-Vinyl GABA (GVG) irreversibly inhibits the GABA degrading enzyme GABA transaminase. It is known to reverse visual dysfunction induced by various conventional antiepileptic drugs. The authors performed a double-blind, placebo controlled cross-over study of visual functions on 24 healthy volunteers 24 hours after a single dose of 3 g GVG. The investigation included visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, intraocular pressure, kinetic and static perimetry, spatial contrast sensitivity and color discrimination with pseu-doisochromatic plates and Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test. Clinical ophthalmologic examination did not show any significant abnormalities, both after placebo and GVG. Similarly, visual fields, color discrimination and contrast sensitivity were unaffected. In six subjects minor color discrim...

Effect of short term changes in blood glucose on visual pathway function in insulin dependent diabetes.

Visual pathway function is abnormal in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) without retinopathy, yet the mechanism underlying this abnormality is unknown. It is hypothesised that short term changes in blood glucose level affect visual pathway function in IDDM. Colour discrimination was measured in 10 uncomplicated aretinopathic IDDM patients during hyperinsulinaemic clamp, with the Farnsworth Munsell 100 hue test (100 hue test). After stable euglycaemia, patients were made hyperglycaemic (14 mmol/l), maintained euglycaemic (5 mmol/l), and rendered hypoglycaemic (2.5 mmol/l), in random order, on separate occasions at least 1 week apart. Short term (1-2 hours) changes in blood glucose did not affect colour discrimination: mean (SD) 100 hue error score at 2.5 mmol/l was 34 (22) compared with 35 (33) at 5 mmol/l, and 39 (28) at 14 mmol/l. These data suggest that short term (1-2 hours) changes in blood glucose are not the mechanism for visual pathway dysfunction in aretinopathic IDDM patients.

ERP in children during attentional and short term memory tasks

Error scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test were partitioned into those representing red-green and those representing blue-yellow losses. Data from two groups of normal observers were used. One group showed results characteristic of published norms; one group showed superior performance. Both observers showed a correlation between red-green and blue-yellow scores indicative of a strong performance factor in this test. The difference between blue-yellow and red-green scores eliminates their correlated variance and allows evaluation of the axis. Both groups showed an increase in difference scores, with age indicating development of a blue-yellow axis. This increase was significant for the observers characteristic of the norms. We suggest cutoff scores to allow a decision as to whether a given patient shows a blue-yellow or red-green axis.

Effects of 6-hydroxydopamine treatment on locomotor response to l-DOPA in neonatal rats

Error scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test were partitioned into those representing red-green and those representing blue-yellow losses. Data from two groups of normal observers were used. One group showed results characteristic of published norms; one group showed superior performance. Both observers showed a correlation between red-green and blue-yellow scores indicative of a strong performance factor in this test. The difference between blue-yellow and red-green scores eliminates their correlated variance and allows evaluation of the axis. Both groups showed an increase in difference scores, with age indicating development of a blue-yellow axis. This increase was significant for the observers characteristic of the norms. We suggest cutoff scores to allow a decision as to whether a given patient shows a blue-yellow or red-green axis.

Eye movement programming and its EEG mapping in humans

Error scores on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test were partitioned into those representing red-green and those representing blue-yellow losses. Data from two groups of normal observers were used. One group showed results characteristic of published norms; one group showed superior performance. Both observers showed a correlation between red-green and blue-yellow scores indicative of a strong performance factor in this test. The difference between blue-yellow and red-green scores eliminates their correlated variance and allows evaluation of the axis. Both groups showed an increase in difference scores, with age indicating development of a blue-yellow axis. This increase was significant for the observers characteristic of the norms. We suggest cutoff scores to allow a decision as to whether a given patient shows a blue-yellow or red-green axis.

Impaired colour discrimination in Huntington's disease

Colour discrimination and visual contrast perception were investigated in 18 patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test (FM) and stationary contrast targets. The mean total error score (MTES) and the partial scores for the "red-green" and the "blue-yellow" axes in the FM of the patients with HD were significantly elevated as compared to controls (MTES in HD: 113.0 ± 90.8; MTES in controls: 19.2 ± 8.8). The spatial contrast sensitivity in HD patients was normal. The colour perception dysfunction indicates that the visual system is affected in HD. The visual disorder may be related to an imbalance of certain neurotransmitters in the visual system of HD patients. Possible anatomical sites of the dysfunction responsible for colour discrimination abnormalities could be the retinal cone system and/or impaired parvocellular central visual pathways in HD.