THE EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET-A RADIATION ON VISUAL-EVOKED POTENTIALS INTHE YOUNG HUMAN EYE

A recent study from this laboratory using visual evoked potentials (VE Ps) demonstrated that children's eyes are capable of detecting ultravi olet radiation. The aim of this study was to compare dose-response rel ationships in two age groups, 6-10 years (n = 10) and 20-25 years (n = 10). Under photopic viewing conditions (550 lux), exposures of monoch romatic W-A (339 nm) and visible radiation (502 nm) were correlated to VEPs. The results demonstrate that monochromatic UV-A can elicit age and dose dependent responses in the human visual system, suggesting th at the eyes of children are more responsive to UV stimuli than the eye s of young adults.