Carbon monoxide exposure and human visual detection thresholds

Abstract

In order to test for CO exposure effects on vision, a battery of visual tests was administered to male college students. All subjects completed the battery of tests both before and during an exposure period in a double-blind study. Experimental subjects received CO during the exposure period, whereas control subjects received only room air. The battery of visual tests was designed for the assessment of scotopic (dark adapted, rod mediated) detection, photopic (light adapted, cone mediated) detection, the pattern detection process and the motion detection process. Contrast thresholds for the detection of stimulus pattern and for the detection of stimulus motion were measured under both photopic and scotopic viewing conditions, and sensitivity was monitored throughout the course of dark adaptation by measuring luminance thresholds. The results indicated that visual function in healthy, young-adult males was not affected by a COHb level of about 17% which was maintained for over 2 hours.