Purpose:
To compare the sensitivities of color vision testing and pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) in the diagnosis of optic pathway involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients without a history of visual symptoms.
Methods:
The right eyes of 20 MS patients and 20 control subjects were included. Color vision was evaluated by Farnsworth-Munsell (FM) 100 Hue test. Total error scores (TES) in FM-100 Hue test were assessed. PVEP recordings were peformed by Roland-Consult Retiscan system. A checkerboard pattern with 1 degree check size was used. The contrast between black and white squares was 99%.
Results:
The normative data for FM-100 Hue test and PVEP test were assessed by 95% confidence interval for P100 latency and TES in FM-100 Hue test in the control subjects. Five percent confidence interval level were used as normative data for P100 amplitude. With respect to the normative datas, 14 MS patients (70%) had increased TES in FM-100 Hue test, 11 (55%) had delayed P100 latency. Nine MS patients (45%) had decreased P100 amplitude. Areas under the ROC curve were 0.944 for FM-100 Hue test, 0.753 for P100 latency and 0.173 for P100 amplitude (Figure 1).
Conclusions:
FM 100 Hue color vision testing is superior to PVEP in detecting visual pathway involvement in MS.
Keywords: neuro-ophthalmology: diagnosis • color vision • electrophysiology: clinical