Diurnal rhythms of visual accommodation and blink responses: implication for flight-deck visual standards

The major purpose of this study was to determine whether 24-h variations in accommodation responses occur and, if they do, whether they should be considered in setting visual standards for flight-deck tasks. A recently developed servo-controlled optometer and focus stimulator were used to obtain monocular accommodation response data on four college-age subjects. No 24-h rhythm in accommodation was shown. Heart rate and blink rate also were measured and periodicity analysis showed a mean 24-h rhythm for both; however, blink rate periodograms were significant (p less than or equal to 0.003) for only two of the four subjects. Thus, with the qualifications that college students were tested instead of pilots and that they performed monocular laboratory tasks imstead of binocular flight-deck task, it is concluded that 24-h rhythms in accommodation responses need not be considered in setting visual standards for flight-deck task.