Visual discrimination testing of ultraviolet transmitting and ultraviolet blocking acrylic thermoplastics.
BACKGROUND
Visual perception has hindered the development of blinded, placebo-controlled ultraviolet light exposure conditions in humans. New acrylic thermoplastics that block or transmit ultraviolet light have visual properties that may provide a solution.


METHODS
In a series of triangle taste tests, 60 subjects were tested for the ability to visually perceive ultraviolet light transmission by two of four types of acrylic thermoplastics.


RESULTS
Forty-six of sixty (67%) subjects were unable to visually detect ultraviolet light transmitting acrylics among ultraviolet blocking acrylics in both an ambient light background condition and an ambient light background condition with ultraviolet A light supplementation.


CONCLUSIONS
Acrylic thermoplastics allow for the production of blinded, placebo-controlled ultraviolet light exposure conditions by eliminating visual discrimination differences between active and control groups.
Kucenic
Michael J
MJ
The Department of Dermatology, Baptist Medical Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1071, USA. mkucenic@wubmc.edu
Patel
Manisha
M
Feldman
Steven R
SR
Liguori
Anthony
A
Fleischer
Alan B
AB
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014796:Visual Perception
D000180:Acrylic Resins