Color-specific effects of intense laser exposure on visual evoked potentials in rhesus monkeys.
Color-specific visual impairments following exposure to intense laser flashes were investigated using visual evoked potentials (VEPs) recorded from four anesthetized rhesus monkeys. Steady-state VEPs were recorded from the primary visual cortex in response to counterphasing high-contrast sine-wave gratings composed of either luminance contrast (red-black, green-black, and blue-black) or chromatic contrast (red-green). The effects of laser flashes in the red (647 nm), green (514 nm), and blue (476 nm) regions of the visible spectrum were assessed. Only slight wavelength-specific effects were demonstrated, primarily for the red-black grating relative to the other two luminance gratings. Recovery functions for VEPs to the red-green chromatic grating were similar to those of the three luminance gratings. The results are discussed in terms of nonopponent (luminance) and opponent (chromatic) processing.
Krug International Technology Services Division, San Antonio, Texas.
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D000818:Animals; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D012160:Retina / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology