PSYCHOPHYSICAL TESTS IN X-LINKED RETINITIS-PIGMENTOSA CARRIER STATUS

Psychophysical tests were performed in 22 normal women and 17 X-linked carriers of retinitis pigmentosa. The tests consisted of luminance co ntrast sensitivity, grating at the fovea and broken annulus at the per iphery, color contrast sensitivity, letters for the fovea and broken a nnulus for the periphery, along the three known confusion axes of prot an, deutan and tritan observers. Statistical analysis of the data show s that there were significant differences between the carriers and age -similar normal subjects with all the tests. The most significant diff erences (P < 0.001) were found with the color contrast sensitivity at the periphery along the protanopic and deutanopic axes and the luminan ce contrast sensitivity at the periphery. The influence of the age is discussed.