Effects of Supplementary Vitamins and Stimulants on Dark Adaptation.
Abstract
It has been claimed recently that a proprietary mixture of vitamins and a stimulant will enhance dark adaptation in normal human subjects. The purported effect occurs following five days of treatment (daily oral doses) and is absent five days after cessation of treatment. An improvement in the rate and degree of dark adaptation was reported. It has been proposed that the effect was due to a synergistic effect of the mixture of compounds. This enhanced dark adaptation could not be demonstrated when the compounds were administered separately. Night and low-light operations are a fundamental military requirement. Methods for enhancing night vision would benefit soldiers performing in low-light conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the claimed effect can be reproduced under controlled conditions. A double blind technique was used to test the effects on normal volunteers of the test mixture, a placebo, and a no-treatment condition. Dark adaptation has been used as a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of vitamin replacement. Tests with normal subjects on vitamin A restricted diets showed effects only after 6 to 8 months. Since vitamin insufficiency in normal subjects can decrease the rate and final sensitivity level of dark adaptation, a hypothesis is that the converse is also true, i.e. super-vitamin therapy will produce super-normal results. This has not been substantiated by our results. Supplementary vitamin and caffeine do not demonstrate any significant short-term effects on dark adaptation in normal human volunteers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA165880
Entities
People
- Elmar T. Schmeisser
- Joseph F. Weiss
- Peter A. O'mara
Organizations
- Letterman Army Hospital