achromatopsia

Term: achromatopsia

Origin: Anc Greek α/α(= prefix that denotes absence) χρώμα/chroma(=color) + όψη/opsi(=look, face) 

Coined:  in 1957 by Blackwell HR, Blackwell OM "Blue mono-cone monochromacy: a new color vision defect"  J Optical Soc America 47: 338-341

Definition:

Achromatopsia (ACHM), is a medical congenital color vision disorder which is characterized by the inability to perceive (distinguish) color and to achieve satisfactory visual acuity at high light levels (typically exterior daylight). People with achromatopsia are completely colorblind or nearly so.

Comments:

Newton was the first scintist who noted that color is illusion that rises in the mind. Hermann Wilbrand, in 1884, suggested that there were separate primary visual centers for light impressions, form impressions, and color impressions. Freud said in The Interpretation of Dreams that internal excitations in retina are important in dreams. He also said that color perception is due to cooperation of both visual and neural processing; dreams are largely aided by memory and neural processing.