title: Visual discrimination testing of ultraviolet transmitting and ultraviolet blocking acrylic thermoplastics.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Dermatology, Baptist Medical Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1071, USA. mkucenic@wubmc.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kucenic
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fleischer
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins