FUNDUS PIGMENTATION AND THE ELECTRORETINOGRAPHIC LUMINANCE-RESPONSE FUNCTION

Dark-adapted and light-adapted electroretinographic luminance-response functions were recorded from subjects with light or dark fundus pigme ntation based on digitized fundus photographs. For dark- and light-ada pted electroretinograms, subjects with dark fundi had smaller b-wave a mplitudes at all luminance levels. There was no significant difference in b-wave implicit time for the dark-adapted electroretinogram, but t here was a significant difference for the light-adapted ERG between th e two groups. The results suggest that fundus pigmentation should be c onsidered in the interpretation of electroretinogram results. A possib le mechanism for the influence of fundus pigmentation on b-wave amplit ude is based on increased resistance associated with melanin.