Macular pigment and the colour-specificity of visual evoked potentials

Abstract

A modified Moreland anomaloscope was used to examine two subjects, one with dense macular pigment, the other with relatively light pigmentation. Chromatic visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were elicited from these two subjects using coarse, isoluminant gratings of different sizes. Colour-specificity was verified by comparing chromatic onset VEPs (reflecting sustained activity) with chromatic reversal VEPs (reflecting mainly transient activity) and also by Fourier analysis (colour-specific responses are dominated by the fundamental, transient activity by the second harmonic). Achromatic (transient-type) intrusions, produced by large blue-green gratings could be related to the extent of subject-specific macular pigmentation.