Colour vision impairment and alcohol consumption

Mergler, Donna; Blain, Lucie; Lemaire, Joannie; Lalande, Françoise

doi:10.1016/0892-0362(88)90025-6

Cited by 58 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Such deleterious effect are possible if retinal ganglion cell loss related to chronic alcoholism (see below) progresses from preferential damage to P and K ganglion cells involved with color vision in the first stages of the disease to include the several ganglion cell classes involved in achromatic vision in later stages (Silveira et al, 2004;Silveira et al, 2008 Comparison with previous studies Acquired color vision losses have frequently been observed among chronic alcoholics (Cruz-Coke & Varela, 1965;Reynolds, 1979;Mergler et al, 1988;Braun & Richer, 1993;Kapitany et al, 1993;Shimozono, Townsend, Ilsen, & Bright, 1998). All of these studies used the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic test or color arrangement tests to evaluate color vision performance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Color vision impairment caused by nutritional disorders associated with chronic alcoholism has been diagnosed using Farnsworth-Munsell 28-hue or 100-hue colorarrangement tests (Hill & Toffolon, 1990). Color vision loss occurs more often in the tritan axis than in the protan-deutan axes (Mergler et al, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have shown that subjects with a clinical history of long-term ethanol abuse have color vision impairment (Cruz-Coke & Varela, 1965;Smith, 1972;Mergler, Blain, Lemaire, & Lalande, 1988;Hill & Toffolon, 1990). Cruz-Coke and Varela (1965) evaluated color vision in a group of 100 patients diagnosed with hepatic cirrhosis attributable to chronic alcoholism and found that 18 were color blind (Cruz-Coke & Varela, 1965).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Impairment of color spatial vision in chronic alcoholism measured by psychophysical methods

Castro¹,

Rodrigues²,

Côrtes³

et al. 2009

Psychol. Neurosci. (Online)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We used psychophysical tests to evaluate spatial vision in 15 subjects with a clinical history of chronic alcoholism by measuring luminance contrast sensitivity and color discrimination. The subjects were initially subjected to clinical inquiry and ophthalmological exam. Subjects then performed psychophysical tests to measure spatial contrast thresholds using sine wave gratings of different spatial frequencies and contrasts and chromatic discrimination thresholds using the Mollon-Reffin test. For the analysis, subjects were divided into three groups according to age and compared with age-matched controls. Ten subjects had some degree of color vision loss, which was quite severe in seven cases. All subjects had normal luminance contrast sensitivity. The results suggest that color vision changes related to chronic alcoholism can occur in the absence of impairment of spatial luminance contrast sensitivity and thus is an important aspect to be considered in the clinical evaluation of this condition.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Impairment of color spatial vision in chronic alcoholism measured by psychophysical methods

Castro¹,

Rodrigues²,

Côrtes³

et al. 2009

Psychol. Neurosci. (Online)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Age-related loss of color vision may result from changes in the lens or the macula (45). Other studies have demonstrated a dose relation between alcohol consumption and color vision loss (46). This effect on color vision, as with other solvents, may come from interference with the neurooptic pathway.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual dysfunction among styrene exposed workers

Campagna¹,

Mergler²,

Huel³

et al. 1995

Scand J Work Environ Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

dysfunction among styreneexposed workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 1995;21:382-90. Objectives The present study was undertaken to examine the relation between visual functions and occupational exposure to styrene. Methods A total of 128 workers (85% of the total population), from three glass-reinforced plastics plants in Canada, agreed to participate in the study. Environmental and biological measures were made on the day(s) prior to the assessment of near visual acuity (National Optical Visual Chart), chromatic discrimination (Lanthony D-15 desaturated panel), and near contrast sensitivity (Vistech 6000). The analyses were performed on 81 workers with near visual acuity of at least 1 min of arc at 0.5 m. Results The subjects were relatively young [29 (SD 8) years], with little seniority [5 (SD 4) years]. Styrene exposure for 8 h ranged from 6 to 937 (first quartile 21 mg . m-' , third quartile 303 mg . m-'), depending on the job site. The end-shift concentrations of urinary mandelic acid ranged from nondetectable to 1.90 mmol . mmol creatinine-l. Significant positive relations were found between the internal and external styrene exposure measurements and color vision loss adjusted for age, alcohol consumption, and seniority in a multiple regression analysis. The multiple regression analysis also showed that the end-shift concentration of urinary mandelic acid was inversely related to contrast sensitivity at 6 and 12 cycles . degree-'. Logistic multiple regression models indicated that the end-shift concentration of urinary mandelic acid was related to the prevalences of blurred vision, tearing, and eye irritation. C O~C~U S~O~S These findings suggest that there is a positive relation between styrene exposure and early color and contrast vision dysfunction.

show abstract

“…Persistent or permanent VCS deficits in the presence of normal visual acuity have been observed in workers exposed to styrene (21,22) and mixed solvents (23)(24)(25)(26), as have color discrimination deficits (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38) in the absence of detectable optical, retinal, or optic nerve head pathology (39). VCS, a nonspecific indicator of subclinical visual impairment (40), also revealed neurologic effects associated with exposure to toxic Pfiesteria sp.-inhabited estuaries (40)(41)(42), with lead and mercury exposure (43)(44)(45)(46)(47), and was useful in differentiating vision effects from other exposure-induced deficits in neurobehavioral functions (48).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

Schreiber¹,

Hudnell²,

Geller³

et al. 2002

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tetrachloroethylene (also called perchloroethylene, or perc), a volatile organic compound, has been the predominant solvent used by the dry-cleaning industry for many years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified perc as a hazardous air pollutant because of its potential adverse impact on human health. Several occupational studies have indicated that chronic, airborne perc exposure adversely affects neurobehavioral functions in workers, particularly visual color discrimination and tasks dependent on rapid visual-information processing. A 1995 study by Altmann and colleagues extended these findings, indicating that environmental perc exposure at a mean level of 4,980 microg/m(3) (median=1,360 microg/m(3)) alters neurobehavioral functions in residents living near dry-cleaning facilities. Although the U.S. EPA has not yet set a reference concentration guideline level for environmental exposure to airborne perc, the New York State Department of Health set an air quality guideline of 100 microg/m(3). In the current residential study, we investigated the potential for perc exposure and neurologic effects, using a battery of visual-system function tests, among healthy members of six families living in two apartment buildings in New York City that contained dry-cleaning facilities on the ground floors. In addition, a day care investigation assessed the potential for perc exposure and effects among workers at a day care center located in the same one-story building as a dry-cleaning facility. Results from the residential study showed a mean exposure level of 778 microg/m(3) perc in indoor air for a mean of 5.8 years, and that perc levels in breath, blood, and urine were 1-2 orders of magnitude in excess of background values. Group-mean visual contrast sensitivity (VCS), a measure of the ability to detect visual patterns, was significantly reduced in the 17 exposed study participants relative to unexposed matched-control participants. The groups did not differ in visual acuity, suggesting that the VCS deficit was of neurologic origin. Healthy workers in the day care investigation were chronically exposed to airborne perc at a mean of 2,150 microg/m(3) for a mean of 4.0 years. Again, group-mean VCS, measured 6 weeks after exposure cessation, was significantly reduced in the nine exposed workers relative to matched controls, and the groups did not differ significantly in visual acuity. These results suggested that chronic, environmental exposure to airborne perc adversely affects neurobehavioral function in healthy individuals. Further research is needed to assess the susceptibility of the young and elderly to perc-induced effects, to determine whether persistent solvent-induced VCS deficits are a risk factor for the development of neurologic disease, and to identify the no observable adverse effect level for chronic, environmental, perc exposure in humans.

show abstract

Colour vision impairment and alcohol consumption

Cited by 58 publications

References 21 publications

Impairment of color spatial vision in chronic alcoholism measured by psychophysical methods

Impairment of color spatial vision in chronic alcoholism measured by psychophysical methods

Visual dysfunction among styrene exposed workers

Apartment residents' and day care workers' exposures to tetrachloroethylene and deficits in visual contrast sensitivity.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About