Isolated short-wavelength sensitive cones can mediate a reflex accommodation response.

Both long- and middle-wavelength sensitive cones mediate the reflex accommodation signal but the contribution from the short-wavelength sensitive cones is unknown. A short-wavelength sensitive cone contribution could extend the range of the signed defocus signal from chromatic aberration. The aim was to determine whether isolated short-wavelength sensitive cones mediate reflex accommodation independently of long- and middle-wavelength sensitive cones. Accommodation was monitored continuously (eight subjects) to a sine-wave grating (3 cpd; 0.53 contrast) moving with a sum of sines motion in a Badal optometer. Two illumination conditions were used: a 'blue' condition that isolated short-wavelength sensitive cones, and a 'white' control condition that stimulated all three cone types. Of the eight subjects, two responded equally in the 'white' and 'blue' condition, four gave reduced responses in the 'blue' condition and two failed to respond in both conditions. The mean response in the 'blue' condition was reduced by 50% compared to the 'white' condition. Further analysis indicated that four of the eight subjects gave responses that were considerably greater than noise (S.D.>1.82) when short-wavelength sensitive cones were isolated. Some subjects can accommodate using only S-cones.