Measuring short-wavelength-sensitive cone discrimination thresholds using pseudoisochromatic figures displayed on a color monitor.

PURPOSE To simplify the testing of short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) cone function in the clinic. METHODS SWS-cone discrimination thresholds were measured along the tritan axis using pseudoisochromatic figures displayed on a color monitor. A circular 6 degrees field, containing spatially discrete patches of varying sizes and luminances, was presented on a background. A subset of patches formed the target patch in the shape of a C. Eight subjects with normal color vision reported the direction of the gap in the C using a cursor controlled by a joystick. DATA were expressed in units of SWS-cone trolands. RESULTS SWS-cone discrimination threshold increased slowly as the SWS-cone trolands of the starting chromaticity increased. The dependence of the threshold on the SWS-cone activation level was similar to literature reports of chromatic discrimination measured with conventional paradigms. CONCLUSIONS The advantages of this method: (a) It is a simple intuitive task for patients. (b) The paradigm can be implemented with an 8-bit/gun color monitor. (c) The test avoids the need to define equiluminance for the individual patient before the color test is administered. This method can provide a useful technique for measuring SWS-cone function in a clinical population.