Short-term hypobaric hypoxia enhances visual contrast sensitivity |
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Authors: | Benedek Krisztina Kéri Szabolcs Grósz Andor Tótka Zsolt Tóth Erika Benedek György |
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Affiliation: | University of Szeged, Department of Neurology, Aeromedical Hospital, Hungarian Defense Forces, H-6725, Semmelweis u. 6., Szeged, Hungary. |
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Abstract: | The effect of hypoxia on early visual functions remains a controversial area of research. To explore this question, we measured static and dynamic visual contrast sensitivity in 14 healthy volunteers at a simulated altitude of 5500 m. In comparison with the baseline condition (mean arterial oxygen saturation: 98.4%), contrast sensitivity significantly increased after 5, 10 and 15 min of hypoxic exposure (saturation: 82.9%, 77.0%, 74.3%, respectively). After 10 min, this enhancement was markedly pronounced under dynamic conditions. Returning to the baseline altitude (saturation: 97.7%), contrast sensitivity recovered, mostly at the lower spatial frequencies. There was a significant negative relationship between arterial oxygen saturation and contrast sensitivity values at low and medium spatial frequencies (0.5-4.8 c/deg). These results suggest that early visual processing may be enhanced during short-term hypoxic challenge. |
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