Central and Peripheral Measures of Blue-Sensitive Pathways in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension

Abstract

It is well established that an acquired blue-dyschromatopsia is often present in glaucoma.1 In addition, foveal spectral sensitivity measures in glaucoma have shown that the chromatic pathways are affected (the short wavelength region being particularly depressed).2-5 Combined, these results suggest that the blue sensitive pathways are primarily at risk in glaucoma. A large body of data from color testing, in addition to measures of flicker sensitivity, provides us with considerable evidence that foveal function is abnormal in glaucoma, even when acuity is not affected.6-14 Even greater emphasis has been placed on foveal function in glaucoma since the startling report by Quigley, et al., that as many as half of the optic nerve fibers are destroyed before any abnormality in the visual field is detected.15