A Re-Interpretation of Koellner’s Rule

¹Krastel H., ²Jägle H.,
¹Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Universitäts-Augenklinik (Heidelberg)
²Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Universitäts-Augenklinik (Tübingen)

Purpose: To define rules correlating affected structures and consequent colour deficiencies. Koellner’s rule (1907) ascribes tritan colour defects to retinal, red-green defects to optic nerve affections. Meanwhile exceptions outnumber the cases obeying Koellner’s rule: A rationale for reinterpreting the systematics of acquired colour vision deficiencies, to refine this diagnostic tool which combines sensitivity with feasibility.
Methods: Colour vision defects are evaluated by spectral matches (anomaloscope), video-phosphor- (colour contrast threshold) and surface colours, (arrangement tests, plates), and by colour perimetry. They are correlated to damages of distinct structures within the visual system.
Results: Spatial coarseness marks the short wave system. Affections of spatial organization will account for tritan defects: at receptoral (e.g. RP), transverse neuron (e.g. Diabetes), ganglion cell (e.g. DIOA) and at pre-laminar axon level (e.g. glaucomas and AION). In the optic fascicle, transmission velocity of signals from the middle and long wave system exceed that of signals from the short wave one. Limitations of transmission velocity therefore impede red/green more than blue vision. Conditions of the whole cone system result in tritan as well as in red/green defects: starting as pseudoprotanomaly, proceeding towards pseudoprotanopia and finally, by transition to rod function, to scotopization. Hereby, red suffers from increasing loss of luminosity by reduction of cone signal input into the opponent system. Tritan defects are accompanied in general by loss of luminosity towards the short wave end of the spectrum, due to the mainly excitatory organization of the short wave system. Loss of luminosity for short wave stimuli follows the filter induced tritan defect of the cataractous lens. On the other hand: a sudden bilateral defect of colour vision lacking any loss in luminosity is pointing to cerebral achromatopsia.
Conclusions: Spatial organization, transmission velocity and spectrally specific loss of luminosity are structural and functional characteristics which render insight into the systematics of acquired deficiencies of colour vision, the basis, on which the examination of colour vision contributes to the diagnostics of visual system diseases.

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