title: Pupillary and visual thresholds in young children as an index of population vitamin A status.
abstract: A prototype scotopic sensitivity machine was used to evaluate pupillary and visual thresholds for 295 Indonesian children aged 1-5 y, most of whom were initially vitamin A-deficient. Subjects were tested 6 and 9 mo after receiving a high dose of vitamin A. A group of 136 older children was tested at 6 mo after dosing; all subjects underwent testing at 9 mo. After testing at 9 mo, children randomly received either a second high dose of vitamin A or placebo and were tested a final time 2 wk later. Children with abnormal pupillary thresholds had significantly higher relative dose responses (RDRs) (P < 0.01) and significantly lower serum retinol values (P = 0.05) than did normal children. The mean pupillary threshold rose (eg, retinal sensitivity fell) as vitamin A status deteriorated between 6 and 9 mo after initial dosing, and was significantly different from a group of normal American children tested previously (P < 0.001). After placebo-controlled dosing, the decline in pupillary and visual thresholds (rise in retinal sensitivity) was significant for children receiving vitamin A but not for children receiving placebo.
authors.affiliation: Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Congdon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Severns
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Natadisastra
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D009755:Night Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015588:Observer Variation; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A