Pre-age related maculopathy and the desaturated D-15 colour vision test

Abstract

The Desaturated D-15 vision test was used to investigate the colour discrimination of aged normal subjects, subjects with age-related maculopathy (ARM) and subjects designated as pre-age related maculopathy (pre-ARM). Subjects classified as pre-ARM had normal visual acuity but showed ophthalmoscopically visible pigmentary disturbance at the macula. There were significant losses of colour vision in the pre-ARM subjects and the ARM subjects compared to the aged normals on the Desaturated D-15 colour vision test. This decrement in colour discrimination was predominantly a blue-yellow (tritan) hue confusion. The results indicate that functional changes are occurring in subjects with pigmentary disturbance at the macula before ARM can be diagnosed by conventional clinical criteria.