Alcohol and Visual Function – An Overview

C.Devereux, Bed DipAppSci(Orth), DOBA
I.Story, BBSc, PhD
A.Pitt, MEd, DBO(T)

The effects of alcohol on complex hand-eye co-ordination are well known. Research on the ability of alcohol to degrade performance of the visual system, while not extensive, nevertheless allows for critical analysis.
Review of this literature indicates that the ocular motor components of visual function are consistently and dose-dependently influenced by alcohol. There is some evidence of impairment of visual acuity and visual field, however the data with respect to the levels at which the deficit is apparent are not clear-cut. There is a need to specify functional implications on tasks requiring hand-eye co-ordination.