Abstract
We reported previously that changes in female hormonal activity can lead to alterations in the response properties of SWS-cone pathways, as assessed using threshold methodologies (Eisner et al, Br J Ophthalmol, 2004; Eisner et al, Vis Neurosci 2004). We report here that the breast cancer medications tamoxifen (a selective estrogen receptor modulator) and anastrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) may affect the color appearance of short-wavelength stimuli on yellow backgrounds. Four groups of middle-aged women were tested using Maxwellian-View/method-of-limits techniques. All subjects were amenorrheic; the 4 subject groups were: (1) 33 control subjects not using hormonal medication, (2) 30 short-term tamoxifen users (< 2 years), (3) 24 long-term tamoxifen users (> 2 years), and (4) 12 short-term anastrozole users (< 2 years). Test stimuli were foveal, 440 nm, 3 deg discs presented at 1.5 Hz with a squarewave 50% duty cycle; background stimuli were 3.6 log td, 580 nm, 11 deg discs. A 3-alternative forced-response color naming procedure was used for ascertaining color appearance at 0.2 log units suprathreshold; the 3 allowable choices were (a) “blue”, (b) “lavender”, and (c) “white”. The proportions of subjects calling the test stimulus “white” were 39%, 70%, 79%, and 58% for each of the 4 groups, respectively.
NEI EY014594, NEI EY12737, Unrestricted grant to the CEI by Research to Prevent Blindness (N.Y., N.Y.)