Effects of constant illumination on vision in the albino rat.

The characteristics of photically-induced blinding in the albino rat were investigated with physiological (the electroretinogram--ERG) and behavioral (luminance discrimination) techniques. These indices were obtained both before and during exposure to constant illumination (2600 lux). In trast to previous results, the findings of this study indicate that both the amplitude of the ERG and the ability to discriminate test lights decline rapidly and at approximately the same rate following the onset of constant illumination. These results, in conjunction with others already in the literature, lead to the suggestion that the degree of correspondence between behavioral and other measures of photically-induced blinding is dependent on the rate of retinal degeneration.