Age covariance between 100-Hue color scores and quantitative perimetry in primary open angle glaucoma
M. E. Breton and T. Krupin
Color vision tests have shown promise as an early indicator of optic nerve
compromise in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). In this context, it is of
interest to know how well color test performance correlates with an
accepted measure of glaucomatous optic nerve damage, such as is provided by
quantitative static perimetry. We found correlation values for 96 glaucoma
suspects (ocular hypertensive patients) and 110 patients with POAG. No
significant correlation values were found for the suspect group when age
correction was applied to the color variable. Similarly, for the patients
with POAG, age correction of the color test scores reduced all age group
correlation values below significance, except for the age group 60 to 69
years. These findings conflict with another recent study reporting
significant correlation between Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue color test
scores and visual field performance for glaucoma suspects but which did not
correct for age. We interpreted our results for the glaucoma suspects and
patients with glaucoma to indicate some independence of mechanisms
responsible for early color loss compared with visual field loss.
