Physiological Mechanisms of the Effects of Yellow Lenses

Physiological Mechanisms Physiological Mechanisms of the Effects of of the Effects of

Yellow LensesYellow LensesDavid Glabe, MS OD candidateJim Sheedy, O.D., PhD

Observations of Yellow Observations of Yellow LensesLensesSubjective Attributes

◦Increased brightness perception◦Increased ability to see objects

against background◦Increased overall clarity of vision◦Increased patient comfort during eye

exam◦Decreased glare

Who uses yellow lenses?Who uses yellow lenses?MarksmenBikersSkiiers/snowboardersPilotsHuntersDriversAMD sufferersPost-surgical cataract patientsOptometrists/ophthalmologistsNorthwesterners (think overcast skies)Computer users (ex. Gunnar Optiks)

What does the literature What does the literature say?say?Visual acuity and AC/A - no significant

effect (Wolffsohn et al. 2000)

Contrast sensitivity – ??Chromatic aberration – decreases by

more than 1/3 … in fish (Sivak et al. 1978)

Selectively decreases blue-light damage to RPE cells (Tanito et al. 2006)

Brightness – up to 40% increase (Kelly 1990)

Discomfort glare – significant decrease (UMTRI)

Subjective preference in glare conditions – Yes! (Wolffsohn et al. 2000)

But, how?But, how?Multiple theories, no consensus

◦Glare reduction Possible rod involvement (Vos 2003)

S-cone inhibition Pupillary response (Chung and Pease 1993)

Circadian receptor response (Kooi and Alferdink 2004)

◦Brightness perception May be rod-mediated (Kelly 1990)

Psychological association with sun (Wright 1949)

Pupillary diameter (Chung and Pease 1993)

Opponent pathways, chromatic channels (Luque et al. 2006)

An intriguing study…An intriguing study…Kooi and Alferdinck, TNO Human

Factors 2004◦Attempt to resolve confusion on

mechanism behind discomfort glare reduction observed with yellow lenses Rods S-cones Melanopsin Pupil

Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004

Method of adjustment procedure – match the brightness level

Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004

Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004Kooi and Alferdinck, 2004

S-cone spectral sensitivityS-cone spectral sensitivity

S-cone M-cone L-cone

Sivak et al, 2005Sivak et al, 2005Measurement of discomfort glare

from various types of headlamps◦Blue-cone weighted power highly

correlated with discomfort glare

S-cones and brightnessS-cones and brightnessS-cones may play a key role in

brightness-enhancing effects of yellow lenses as well

Experimental design in process to test this hypothesis

Where the rubber meets the Where the rubber meets the roadroadIs it possible to design an “ideal”

yellow ophthalmic lens?Can an algorithm be created to

predict effects on brightness and discomfort glare?

Potential utility in many fields – vision ergonomics, aviation, athletics, medicine, driving

ReferencesReferences Chung, S. T., & Pease, P. L. (1999). Effect of yellow filters on pupil size. Optometry and vision

science , 59-62.

Kelly, S. A. (1990). Effect of yellow-tinted lenses on brightness. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A , 1905-1911.

Kooi, F., & Alferdinck, J. (2004). Yellow lessens discomfort glare: physiological mechanism(s). Soesterburg, The Netherlands: TNO Human Factors.

Luque, M., Capilla, P., Diez, M., & Felipe, A. (2006). Effect of a yellow filter on brightness evaluated by assymetric matching: measurements and predictions. J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt. , 398-408.

Luque, M., P, C., MA, D., & A, F. (2006). Effect of a yellow filter on brightness evaluated by assymetric matching: measurements and predictions. J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt , 398-408.

Sivak, J., & Bobier, W. (1978). Effect of a yellow ocular filter on chromatic aberration: the fish eye as an example. Am J Optom Physiol Opt , 813-817.

Sivak, M., Schoettle, B., Minoda, T., & Flannagan, M. J. (2005). Blue content of LED headlamps and discomfort glare (UMTRI-2005-2). Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Stockman, A., & Sharpe, L. (2000). The spectral sensitivities of the middle- and long-wavelength-sensitive cones derived from measurements in observers of known genotype. Vision Research , 1711-1737.

Stockman, A., Sharpe, L., & Fach, C. (1999). The spectral sensitivity of the human short-wavelength sensitive cones derived from thresholds and color matches. Vision Research , 2901-2927.

Tanito, M., Sachiko, K., & Anderson, R. E. (2006). Protective effects of soft acrylic yellow filter against blue light-induced retinal damage in rats. Experimental Eye Research , 1493-1504.

Vos J.J. (2003). Reflections on glare. Lighting Res. Technol. 35 (2), 163-176.

Wolffsohn, J. e. (2000). Contrast is enhanced by yellow lenses because of selective reduction of short-wavelength light. Optometry and Vision Science , 73-81.

Wright, W. (1949). Photometry and the Eye. London: Hatton Press.

Thank you!Thank you!

Rods and cones120 million rods6-7 million cones

◦ "red" cones (64%), ◦ "green" cones (32%), ◦ "blue" cones (2%)

green and red cones are concentrated in the fovea centralis

blue cones have the highest sensitivity and are mostly found outside the fovea

Triplicity of VisionRod systemS cone system

◦Earliest cone systemR/G cone system

◦Newest cone system

Young-Helmholtz color theory

Trichromatic vision

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.diycalculator.com/imgs/cvision-how-works-01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.diycalculator.com/sp-cvision.shtml&usg=__bcKsdqqMJq21AcPwXRe14cOmeE4=&h=356&w=505&sz=44&hl=en&start=16&sig2=G-xn-igItpoeGkLmeS3uBQ&um=1&tbnid=ofx71CnhO3LJuM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcolor%2Bvision%2Btrichromatic%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=bCzVSbD9J5iQswP3pIGgCg

Hering Color Theory color opponency

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/i/Hering.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/color.html&usg=__5TSvOfaF7kre5QsLnzXcGu0mRr4=&h=97&w=80&sz=3&hl=en&start=11&sig2=4lK2UCnnQPftLx5InDElzw&um=1&tbnid=oP0ICq-prkaoGM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=67&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHering%2Btheory%2Bcolor%2Bvision%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1&ei=7C3VSbmrOqectAOPudyyCg

They are both rightThe difference?

◦Y-H moves from physical stimulus to perception

◦Hering looks at color from the perceptual side

Putting the 2 together

Cones

Ganglion cells

It’s blue vs. red/green