Anyone heard of Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test?
http://e-lyte.com/main/articles/detoxxvcs_info.htm
This test is obviously linked to quack "treatment.
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Yes, it is. I did a quick scan of Internet based resources. Looks like visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) testing is commonly used in fringe medicine and sCAM similarly as Multiple Channel Sensitivity testing and by those reporting that we need to "detoxify" all kinds of environmental toxins that are in our bodies making us sick. I found it on-line linked with chronic fatigue syndrome, ALS, and other essentially idiopathic neuromuscular symptoms and disorders.
There are visual contrast tests that can be part of a routine battery of visual tests for early screening of visual pathology or neurological pathology in young children. (I.e. F.A.C.T., C.A.T. or other sine-wave contrast sensitivity testing.) I did find VCS testing being done as a reporting parameter associated with studies of ETOH poisoning, methylmercury poisoning, styrene poisoning, and for workers suspected of long-term occupational exposure to certain other chemicals or even biological toxins where abnormal results can be indicative of vision damage due to exposure. However, nowhere could I find that VCS is standardized as the key determiner in a differential diagnosis of any poisoning.
Machines are usually UL listed, but won't require FDA approval. Testing can be done by lay screeners. Interpretation and application of test results should be exclusive to physicians specializing in ophthalmology, toxicology or neurology who are experienced with the test.
As a determiner of whether or not one suffers from toxins, a VCS test is not substantiated in science because: (1) Testing scores and norms are influenced by age, history of visual acuity, and potentially other visual acuity factors; (2) An abnormal score could very well be related to non-toxicologic effects such as other neurologic pathology, visual pathology, prior eye surgery (including corrective vision surgery), or even contact lens fit.
Dale
Follows is part of my on-line bibliography:
http://www.contrastsensitivity.net/vt.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9756677&dopt=Abstract
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109-1/ss.html
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/78003033/ABSTRACT
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15019960
http://www.revophth.com/productguide.asp?show=toc&p=20&sort=&cat=
This test is obviously linked to quack "treatment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, it is. I did a quick scan of Internet based resources. Looks like visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) testing is commonly used in fringe medicine and sCAM similarly as Multiple Channel Sensitivity testing and by those reporting that we need to "detoxify" all kinds of environmental toxins that are in our bodies making us sick. I found it on-line linked with chronic fatigue syndrome, ALS, and other essentially idiopathic neuromuscular symptoms and disorders.
There are visual contrast tests that can be part of a routine battery of visual tests for early screening of visual pathology or neurological pathology in young children. (I.e. F.A.C.T., C.A.T. or other sine-wave contrast sensitivity testing.) I did find VCS testing being done as a reporting parameter associated with studies of ETOH poisoning, methylmercury poisoning, styrene poisoning, and for workers suspected of long-term occupational exposure to certain other chemicals or even biological toxins where abnormal results can be indicative of vision damage due to exposure. However, nowhere could I find that VCS is standardized as the key determiner in a differential diagnosis of any poisoning.
Machines are usually UL listed, but won't require FDA approval. Testing can be done by lay screeners. Interpretation and application of test results should be exclusive to physicians specializing in ophthalmology, toxicology or neurology who are experienced with the test.
As a determiner of whether or not one suffers from toxins, a VCS test is not substantiated in science because: (1) Testing scores and norms are influenced by age, history of visual acuity, and potentially other visual acuity factors; (2) An abnormal score could very well be related to non-toxicologic effects such as other neurologic pathology, visual pathology, prior eye surgery (including corrective vision surgery), or even contact lens fit.
Dale
Follows is part of my on-line bibliography:
http://www.contrastsensitivity.net/vt.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9756677&dopt=Abstract
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109-1/ss.html
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/78003033/ABSTRACT
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15019960
http://www.revophth.com/productguide.asp?show=toc&p=20&sort=&cat=
posted by nawledge at
6:25 PM
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