Chromatic and luminance sensitivity in diabetes and glaucoma.

The effects of glaucoma and diabetes on the sensitivities of the opponent and achromatic systems were investigated by measuring thresholds along theoretically defined axes in a three-dimensional color space. Thresholds were measured along two equiluminant chromatic axes and one achromatic axis in patients with diabetes or glaucoma and in glaucoma suspects. The results were compared with measures of sensitivities of short- and middle-wavelength-sensitive-cone pathways [S (Stiles pi 1) and M (Stiles pi 4), respectively] and with measures of hue discrimination by use of the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test. The glaucoma suspects and diabetic patients showed preferential S-cone-pathway sensitivity losses. For glaucoma patients, however, these losses were associated with significant decreases in the sensitivity of the L-M opponent system and with decreased sensitivity to achromatic contrast.