Color-Vision Mechanisms in the Peripheral Retinas of Normal and Dichromatic Observers

Abstract

It is possible that so-called normal trichromatic vision occurs only between the central blue-blind fixation area and about 30° peripherally. Beyond about 30° vision has been alleged to become dichromatic (red-green blind), and beyond about 60°, monochromatic. Hence every form of color blindness may characterize various zones of the normal retina. We have studied mechanisms of peripheral color vision, mainly by measuring the spectral sensitivities of the blue-, green-, and red-sensitive systems, isolated by differential color adaptation. In normal observers the sensitivity of the blue-mechanism falls off about 2 log units by 80° out. The green- and red-sensitive systems decline only about 0.7 log unit over the same range. Protanopes, deuteranopes, and tritanopes exhibit comparable changes. We have not found any color mechanism present centrally to be wholly lost peripherally. Nor, for dichromats, have we found any mechanism missing centrally to be present peripherally. Whatever evidences of peripheral color blindness have been observed appear to involve other mechanisms than failure of receptors, probably including some fusion of neural pathways from receptors to centers.