Incidence and characteristics of McCollough aftereffects following video display terminal use

After using video display terminals (VDT), some persons notice that achromatic patterns appear faintly colored hours after terminal use. We investigated the incidence of this effect, the McCollough effect (ME), among 125 VDT users. Subjects completed a questionnaire regarding work habits and certain life-style aspects. They were shown photographs of varying spatial frequencies to identify the adapting stimulus responsible for the ME. The incidence of ME after routine use of VDTs was 19.1%. The adapting stimulus was the repeating character lines of the VDT. No aspect of life-style investigated appeared to predispose an individual to develop the ME. Those subjects who developed the ME did not differ from those who did not in age, sleep, caffeine consumption, use of medication, refractive errors, or computer usage, nor did they have a higher incidence of ocular defects or eye strain.