Abstract
EnChroma glasses are designed to use notched spectrum filters to improve color discrimination ability in some anomalous trichromats (AT) whose L- and M-cone pigment absorption spectra peak separation is narrower than normal trichromats (NT) due to inherited color vision deficiencies. However, no consistent effects of EnChroma glasses have been reported in previous studies. In the current study, we assess the effect of the indoor EnChroma glasses using Hardy-Rand-Rittler (HRR) color plates (4th Edition) and FInD (Foraging Interactive D-prime) Color discrimination. FInD Color discrimination measures hue discrimination thresholds around six primary hues in the HSV color space. Each of three FInD trials per color consists of a 4×4 grid of cells that contain either two identical or two different Gaussian hues (σ=1°) embedded in 20% contrast 8 Hz luminance noise. The angular distance between the hues in HSV space is adaptively controlled by the FInD algorithm to estimate d’ for hue discrimination. Model predictions of AT and NT based on cone contrasts suggest that EnChroma filters should improve cone contrasts and hence color discrimination for both groups. Seven NT and four AT (3 deuteranomalous and 1 protanomalous) observers completed HRR and FInD color discrimination tasks with and without EnChroma glasses in random order. All NT observers passed HRR. Our preliminary results demonstrate consistent, significant improvement in color discrimination sensitivity with EnChroma glasses across AT, but not NT observers. However, self-report of color discrimination ability change with Enchroma of AT observers did not agree with measured discrimination sensitivity change. Most AT observers reported no obvious change in respect of color discrimination when viewing the color stimuli or the environment although colors appeared more saturated. No consistent improvement in HRR scores was found. These results suggest that EnChroma glasses may improve color discrimination ability.