Novel method for the quantitative measurement of color vision deficiencies

The method is based on chromatic visual evoked potential (VEP) measurement. The equiluminance of color stimulus in normal subjects is characterized by L-cone and M-cone activation in retina. For the deuteranopes and protanopes, only the activations of one relevant remaining cone type should be considered. The equiluminance taming curve was established for the recorded VEPs of the luminance changes of the red and green color stimulus, and the position of the equiluminance was used to define the kind and degree of color vision deficiencies. In the test of 47 volunteers, we got the VEP traces and the equiluminance turning curves, which was in accordance with the judgment by the pseudoisochromatic plate used in clinic. The method fulfills the impersonal and quantitative requirements in color vision deficiencies test.