Are ethnic differences in the F-M 100 scores related to macular pigmentation?
BACKGROUND
It is known that the macular pigment can significantly affect colour matching and other aspects of colour vision tests. The difference in macular pigmentation between Asians and Caucasians may lead to different colour discrimination.


METHODS
This study compared chromatic discrimination between Asians and Caucasians using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test. Fifty Asians who were ethnically Chinese and 50 Caucasians served as subjects, ranging in age from 30 to 59 years.


RESULTS
The partial blue-yellow square root error score of the Asian subjects was significantly higher than that of the Caucasian subjects (p = 0.022) and the difference appeared to increase with age.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a difference in the F-M 100 scores between the two groups. The difference was confined in the blue-yellow region, producing a tritan-like bias for the Asian group in the test.
Woo
George C
GC
Department of Optometry and Radiography, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, China.
Lee
Man-Ho
MH
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D003119:Color Perception Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010858:Pigmentation; D012168:Retinal Pigments / Q000378:metabolism*; D044465:White People
D012168:Retinal Pigments