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We will measure visual attention in a cue-valid paradigm

We will explore spread of covert exogenous attention along objects, in a double-rectangle cueing paradigm by measuring response time and performance in a visual discrimination task. We will compare the sensitivity of these measures for targets given different levels of noise. In their classical study, Egly, Driver & Rafal (1994) showed that visual attention spreads along attended objects (rectangles) by measuring the simple response time to visual probe stimuli. Since then, their double-rectangle cueing paradigm was extensively used in research studying different aspects of object-based attention (e.g., Lamy & Egeth, 2002; Jurissen, Roelfsema, 2016; McCarley et al., 2002; Theeuwes & Mathot, 2010; Pilz et al., 2012; Drummond & Shomstein, 2010) In most of these studies the main measure of the attention was a response time in a simple detection task. The question whether the spread of attention along the object can be observed in increased visual sensitivity (measured as improved performance in a visual discrimination task) remains unclear. In the current experiment, we have three aims. Our first aim is to compare two well-established methods of measuring visual attention — response time and performance in a visual discrimination task — in order to estimate which of these measures is more sensitive for object-based attention depending on the signal to noise ratio of the stimulus that is to be detected (henceforth, probe). The second aim of our study to bring the measurement of object-based attention closer to natural vision in real-world scenes. That’s why we will probe attention in different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) as the objects in real life will have different textures. Finally, the majority of the above mentioned studies used a hybrid cue that had both exogenous (it was a sudden onset flash in the visual periphery) and endogenous components (the probe was presented more often at the cued location than elsewhere). We will make the cue irrelevant for the task, allowing us to measure the spread of purely automatic, exogenous attention. In our previous study we showed increased visual sensitivity at locations that were perceptually grouped with a location that was attended as the saccade target (Shurygina et al., 2020 – under review). In the current experiment, we will use grouping features from that study (color, pattern of the movement) to strengthen the perception of the objects as separate items.

Colour vision is common phenomenon in living animals, but varies in insect species, depending on their vision sensitivity and photoreceptors involved. The sensitivity of the photoreceptor is determined through the absorption of visual colour pigments expressed. Photoreceptors are involved in filtering pigments, transverse wavelength, retinal image and colour signals. We have evaluated the colour attraction of two important stored grains insects, Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum H) and Pulse beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis L) to determine their visual sensitivity toward various colour surfaces. The data was recorded after 24hrs of releasing the insects in a chamber in which various colour surfaces were provided. The results showed that the T. castaneum was highly attracted toward green colour with maximum (17.3%) and (8.7%) of insects observed outside and inside the bags respectively. Whereas, minimum (4.3%) and (3.0%) T. castaneum found outside and inside the blue colour bags respectively. Similarly, C. chinensis was greatly attracted toward blue colour with the maximum (16.0%) and (7.7%) insects found attached outside and inside the bags respectively. Whereas, minimum (9.0%) and (2.0%) C. chinensis were recorded outside and inside the black colour bags respectively.

openaire: EC/H2020/713645/EU//BioMEP Funding Information: We thank Drs. Kristian Donner, Greg Schwartz, Gabriel Peinado, and Christophe Ribelayga for valuable comments on the manuscript; Matthew Dunkerley and Sathish Narayanan for the design of the data acquisition software; Dr. Martta Viljanen for technical assistance with the design of the water maze; and Mr. Sami Minkkinen for technical assistance with the design of the patch rig. Support was provided by the Academy of Finland (296269 and 305834 to P.A.-L.); the Aalto Brain Centre (J.W.); Svenska kulturfonden (J.W.); the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters (J.W.); the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant 713645 to N.M.); the Doctoral programme Brain & Mind, University of Helsinki (S.K.); the Finnish Cultural Foundation (S.K.); the Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation (T.T.); the Oskar Öflund Foundation (T.T.); and the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion (T.T.). We acknowledge the computational resources provided by the Aalto Science-IT Project. Parts of Figure 1 and 4 were adapted from https://biorender.com. J.W. S.K. and P.A.-L. designed the experiments. T.T. developed the methodology for markerless mouse tracking. T.T. and S.K. set up the water maze used for behavioral experiments, and S.P carried out behavioral experiments. S.K. and S.P. collected and analyzed pupil data. N.M. carried out RGC experiments. J.W. S.K. and S.P. analyzed data. J.W. S.K. and P.A.-L wrote the MS. P.A.-L. is a founder and shareholder of Quantal Vision Technologies. T.T. and P.A.-L. have the following patents related to “a method for performing behavioral experiments with rodents”: FI127666B & US10706287B2. Perception of light in darkness requires no more than a handful of photons, and this remarkable behavioral performance can be directly linked to a particular retinal circuit—the retinal ON pathway. However, the neural limits of shadow detection in very dim light have remained unresolved. Here, we unravel the neural mechanisms that determine the sensitivity of mice (CBA/CaJ) to light decrements at the lowest light levels by measuring signals from the most sensitive ON and OFF retinal ganglion cell types and by correlating their signals with visually guided behavior. We show that mice can detect shadows when only a few photon absorptions are missing among thousands of rods. Behavioral detection of such “quantal” shadows relies on the retinal OFF pathway and is limited by noise and loss of single-photon signals in retinal processing. Thus, in the dim-light regime, light increments and decrements are encoded separately via the ON and OFF retinal pathways, respectively.

The aim of the study was to describe the electroclinical features of visual sensitivity in patients with familial cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy. We searched the EEG database using the terms "familial cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy" and "visual sensitivity" over a seven-year period from March 2013 to April 2020 in the Xijing hospital, Xi'an, China. The inclusion criteria were demonstrable electroclinical visual sensitivity in the form of eye-opening sensitivity, eye-closure sensitivity, eyes-closed sensitivity and photosensitivity. Clinical, EEG and imaging records of patients were screened, and subsequently, detailed analysis of their data was undertaken. We enrolled six patients with visual sensitivity, five of whom suffered with rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Neuroimaging was negative in all cases. All patients demonstrated photosensitivity; eye-opening sensitivity associated with cortical myoclonic in one patient, eyes-closed sensitivity associated with cortical myoclonic tremor status in three patients, and eye-closure sensitivity in two patients. At the last follow-up visit, cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy in all patients was well controlled with first-line treatment. Visual sensitivity is therefore likely to be an important reflex trait in some patients with familial cortical myoclonic tremor and epilepsy, and should be routinely evaluated in order to better define the electroclinical features in FCMTE syndrome. [Published with video sequences].

Ovenbirds represent a clade of exclusively Neotropical birds that are exceptionally diverse, despite their rather dull, melanin-based plumage. In general, sexes are considered monomorphic in size and colour, but several authors have reported females of some species within this family as being slightly paler than their conspecific counterparts. Our aim was to assess levels of sexual dichromatism in a set of ovenbird species representing a diversity of genera and plumage patterns; Furnarius rufus, Phleocryptes melanops, Synallaxis spixi and Schoeniophylax phryganophilus. For each species, we quantified sexual differences in brightness and colouration among 8–10 different plumage regions through modelling avian perceptual colour-space distances. To best inform our visual modelling parameters, we successfully sequenced the SWS1 gene fragment (associated with short-wavelength, including ultraviolet, visual sensitivity in birds) for one species, P. melanops, and found it possessed an amino acid sequence consistent with the VS-type SWS1 visual system. This provides further evidence supporting the presence of VS-sensitive opsin in ovenbirds. Among all four species, females were consistently brighter than males in at least one plumage patch, but chromatic colour differences between sexes were significant only for the throat patches of Schoeniophylax phryganophilus. Overall, we interpret ovenbirds to exhibit very low levels of sexual dichromatism, manifest mainly by achromatic colour differences.

We investigated the influence of visual sensitivity on the performance of an imitation task with the robot R1 in its virtual and physical forms. Virtual and physical embodiments offer different sensory experience to the users. As all individuals respond differently to their sensory environment, their sensory sensitivity may play a role in the interaction with a robot. Investigating how sensory sensitivity can influence the interactions appears to be a helpful tool to evaluate and design such interactions. Here we asked 16 participants to perform an imitation task, with a virtual and a physical robot under conditions of full and occluded visibility, and to report the strategy they used to perform this task. We asked them to complete the Sensory Perception Quotient questionnaire. Sensory sensitivity in vision predicted the participants’ performance in imitating the robot’s upper limb movements. From the self-report questionnaire, we observed that the participants relied more on visual sensory cues to perform the task with the physical robot than on the virtual robot. From these results, we propose that a physical embodiment enables the user to invest a lower cognitive effort when performing an imitation task over a virtual embodiment. The results presented here are encouraging that following this line of research is suitable to improve and evaluate the effects of the physical and virtual embodiment of robots for applications in healthy and clinical settings.

Hemianopia, loss of vision in half of the visual field, results from damage to the visual pathway posterior to the optic chiasm. Despite negative effects on quality of life, few rehabilitation options are currently available. Recently, several long-term training programs have been developed that show visual improvement within the blind field, although little is known of the underlying neural changes. Here, we have investigated functional and structural changes in the brain associated with visual rehabilitation. Seven human participants with occipital lobe damage enrolled in a visual training program to distinguish which of two intervals contained a drifting Gabor patch presented within the blind field. Participants performed ∼25 min of training each day for 3–6 months and undertook psychophysical tests and a magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after training. A control group undertook psychophysical tests before and after an equivalent period without training. Participants who were not at ceiling on baseline tests showed on average 9.6% improvement in Gabor detection, 8.3% in detection of moving dots, and 9.9% improvement in direction discrimination after training. Importantly, psychophysical improvement only correlated with improvement in Humphrey perimetry in the trained region of the visual field. Whole-brain analysis showed an increased neural response to moving stimuli in the blind visual field in motion area V5/hMT. Using a region-of-interest approach, training had a significant effect on the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal compared with baseline. Moreover, baseline V5/hMT activity was correlated to the amount of improvement in visual sensitivity using psychophysical and perimetry tests. This study, identifying a critical role for V5/hMT in boosting visual function, may allow us to determine which patients may benefit most from training and design adjunct interventions to increase training effects. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Homonymous visual field loss is a common consequence of brain injury and is estimated to affect more than 230,000 people in the United Kingdom. Despite its high prevalence and well-described impact on quality of life, treatments to improve visual sensitivity remain experimental, and deficits are considered permanent after 6 months. Our study shows that behavioral changes following vision rehabilitation are associated with enhanced visually-evoked occipital activity to stimuli in the blind visual field. Unlike previous behavioral studies, we observe clinical changes that are specific to the trained region of vision. This lends significant weight to such training paradigms and offers a mechanism by which visual function can be improved despite damage to the primary visual pathway.

Background/AimThis study aimed to compare central visual sensitivity under monocular and binocular conditions in patients with glaucoma using the new imo static perimetry.MethodsFifty-one consecutive eyes of 51 patients with open-angle glaucoma who were affected with at least one significant point in the central 10° were examined in this cross-sectional study. Monocular and binocular random single-eye tests were performed using the imo perimeter and the Humphrey field analyser (HFA) 24-2 and 10-2 tests. The eyes were assigned to ‘better’ and ‘worse’ categories based on the visual acuity and central visual thresholding. Central visual sensitivity results obtained by monocular, binocular random single-eye tests and binocular simultaneous both eye test were compared.ResultsThe average mean deviation with the HFA 24-2 was −5.5 (–1.5, –14.6) dB (median, (IQR)) in the better eyes and −18.0 (–12.9, –23.8) dB in the worse eyes. The mean sensitivity in the central 4 points of the visual field (VF) of the worse eyes was lower when measured under the binocular eye condition than under the monocular condition. Conversely, this value of the better eyes was greater when measured under the binocular eye condition than under the monocular condition.ConclusionsThe central sensitivity of the better eyes was better and that of the worse eyes poorer with binocular testing than with monocular testing in patients with glaucoma. Although monocular VF testing is still the most straightforward means to monocularly monitor glaucoma at clinical settings, binocular testing, such as provided with imo perimetry, may be a useful clinical tool to predict the effect of VF impairments on a patient’s quality of visual life.

Background and Objectives Increased sensitivity to light and patterns is typically associated with migraine, but has also been anecdotally reported in cluster headache, leading to diagnostic confusion. We wanted to assess whether visual sensitivity is increased ictally and interictally in cluster headache. Methods We used the validated Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale (L-VISS) questionnaire (range 0-36 points) to measure visual sensitivity in people with episodic or chronic cluster headache: (i) during attacks; (ii) in-between attacks; and in episodic cluster headache (iii) in-between bouts. The L-VISS scores were compared with the L-VISS scores obtained in a previous study in healthy controls and participants with migraine. Results Mean L-VISS scores were higher for: (i) ictal vs interictal cluster headache (episodic cluster headache: 11.9 ± 8.0 vs. 5.2 ± 5.5, chronic cluster headache: 13.7 ± 8.4 vs 5.6 ± 4.8; p Conclusion Cluster headache is associated with increased ictal and interictal visual sensitivity. In contrast to migraine, this is mostly unilateral and ipsilateral on the side of the ictal pain.

Background and Objectives Increased sensitivity to light and patterns is typically associated with migraine, but has also been anecdotally reported in cluster headache, leading to diagnostic confusion. We wanted to assess whether visual sensitivity is increased ictally and interictally in cluster headache.Methods We used the validated Leiden Visual Sensitivity Scale (L-VISS) questionnaire (range 0-36 points) to measure visual sensitivity in people with episodic or chronic cluster headache: (i) during attacks; (ii) in-between attacks; and in episodic cluster headache (iii) in-between bouts. The L-VISS scores were compared with the L-VISS scores obtained in a previous study in healthy controls and participants with migraine.Results Mean L-VISS scores were higher for: (i) ictal vs interictal cluster headache (episodic cluster headache: 11.9 +/- 8.0 vs. 5.2 +/- 5.5, chronic cluster headache: 13.7 +/- 8.4 vs 5.6 +/- 4.8; p < 0.001); (ii) interictal cluster headache vs controls (5.3 +/- 5.2 vs 3.6 +/- 2.8, p < 0.001); (iii) interictal chronic cluster headache vs interictal ECH in bout (5.9 +/- 0.5 vs 3.8 +/- 0.5, p = 0.009), and (iv) interictal episodic cluster headache in bout vs episodic cluster headache out-of-bout (5.2 +/- 5.5 vs. 3.7 +/- 4.3, p < 0.001). Subjective visual hypersensitivity was reported by 110/121 (91%; 9 missing) participants with cluster headache and was mostly unilateral in 70/110 (64%) and ipsilateral to the ictal pain in 69/70 (99%) participants.Conclusion Cluster headache is associated with increased ictal and interictal visual sensitivity. In contrast to migraine, this is mostly unilateral and ipsilateral on the side of the ictal pain.

This study aimed to verify the daily variation in the chromatic visual sensitivity of healthy subjects. The study included 35 male adults, aged between 20 and 40 years old (M = 24.97; SD = 4.9). Th...

Short wavelength visual sensitivity in birds is determined mostly by the type of photopigment present in the short-wavelength sensitive cone 1 (SWS1) which varies between clades and takes two main forms: the violet sensitive type (VS) and ultraviolet sensitive type (UVS). The common ancestor of passerines is thought to have been UVS, but there were at least 8 transitions between both types of visual sensitivity, even within species of the same family (Maluridae). The type of visual system a species has is a key parameter of avian visual models employed to describe chromatic visual perception and assess if colour differences are discernible by birds. Cardinalidae and Thraupidae together include more than 400 very diverse species that were model organisms in many bird colouration studies. However, visual sensitivity has been characterised for only one species of each of these families so far. Here, we obtained partial genetic sequences of the SWS1 opsin gene that determines the spectral sensitivity of the photopigment for a phylogenetically broad species sample of these families. All cardinals and tanagers studied here have SWS1 sequences corresponding with UVS sensitivity, suggesting that this character is conserved in these bird families despite their highly diverse range of plumage colours and habitat types.

Flying safely and avoiding obstacles in low light is crucial for the bumblebees that forage around dawn and dusk. Previous work has shown that bumblebees overcome the limitations of their visual system—typically adapted for bright sunlight—by increasing the time over which they sample photons. While this improves visual sensitivity, it decreases their capacity to resolve fast motion. This study investigates what effect this has on obstacle avoidance in flight, a task that requires the bees to reliably detect obstacles in the frontal visual field and to make a timely diversion to their flight path. In both bright and dim light, bumblebees avoided the 5 cm diameter obstacle at a consistent distance (22 cm) although in dim light they approached it more slowly from a distance of at least at least 80 cm. This suggests that bumblebees have an effective strategy for avoiding obstacles in all light conditions under which they are naturally active, and it is hypothesised that this is based on a time-to-contact prediction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10071-020-01421-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Visual sensitivity, probed through perceptual detectability of very brief visual stimuli, is strongly impaired around the time of rapid eye movements. This robust perceptual phenomenon, called saccadic suppression, is frequently attributed to active suppressive signals that are directly derived from eye movement commands. Here we show instead that visual-only mechanisms, activated by saccade-induced image shifts, can account for all perceptual properties of saccadic suppression that we have investigated. Such mechanisms start at, but are not necessarily exclusive to, the very first stage of visual processing in the brain, the retina. Critically, neural suppression originating in the retina outlasts perceptual suppression around the time of saccades, suggesting that extra-retinal movement-related signals, rather than causing suppression, may instead act to shorten it. Our results demonstrate a far-reaching contribution of visual processing mechanisms to perceptual saccadic suppression, starting in the retina, without the need to invoke explicit motor-based suppression commands., Nature Communications, 11 (1), ISSN:2041-1723

This paper proposes a rate control algorithm by selecting a proper quantization parameter (QP) based on perceptual luminance adaptation in a single-loop encoding fashion. In this paper, the proposed algorithm uses the visual characteristics of humans to adaptively decide the number of bits available for a pixel. Then, a base QP is selected based on the proposed R–λ model. The proposed rate control determines the range of QP based on the base QP and calculates the maximum and minimum bpps within that range. The optimal bpp is obtained from the bpp range by considering the visual characteristics of the human being, and the QP value is determined by the optical bpp through the proposed R–λ model. In the proposed rate control algorithm, the QP value is selected based on the R–λ model by considering the perceptual luminance adaptation model at the CTU level. The number of target bits is decided to decide the QP, subject to visual sensitivity based on JND thresholds. With the use of the proposed rate control algorithm, bits for non-noticeable regions can be saved, and the remaining bits can be consumed for perceptually noticeable regions to enhance the overall subjective quality with the similar amount of total bits. The proposed method shows lower average variances of bits and PSNR fluctuations. Also, the proposed method achieves an approximately 0.19 higher MOS value on average under DSCQS test, compared with the conventional R–λ model-based rate control algorithm.

In most experiments within the field of cognitive and systems neuroscience, fixation is often required prior to the onset of an experimental trial. However, the term “fixation” is rather misleading since our eyes are constantly moving. One type of transient miniature movement ubiquitously observed during fixation is commonly referred to as fixational eye movements or microsaccades. Perimicrosaccadic compression of visual space — the ability of retinotopic cells to transiently exhibit predictive spatiotemporal retinotopic compressive shifts toward the target of an impending microsaccade — is known to dramatically alter visual perception. However, whether perimicrosaccadic compressive shifts can become spatially asymmetric, that is, continuously directed toward a specific foveal region over another (e.g., an upper over a lower region in the fovea) and for what purpose, remains poorly understood. Assuming that these transient shifts are indeed asymmetric under certain conditions, the perceptual and oculomotor consequences such asymmetricity might accompany across visual space is poorly understood. Equally unaccounted for is a mechanistic account of the neural computation and architecture that could support these transient asymmetric shifts while the visual system actively maintains retinotopic organization. Here, we systematically measured visual sensitivity in human subjects to faint probes presented during fixation and around the time of saccadic eye movement at geometrically symmetric retinotopic locations in the foveal, parafoveal, and peripheral regions of visual space. Remarkably, we observed transient local asymmetric visual sensitivity differences between these symmetric retinotopic locations where none should be observed. Equally surprising, we observed the trajectories of saccadic eye movements, which are expected to travel along a linear path, routinely deviate along a curved path toward orthogonal eccentric locations. To provide a mechanistic account of the neural computation and architecture that may explain our results, we proposed a novel neurobiologically inspired phenomenological force field model in which underlying attentional and oculomotor signals are modulated by transient eccentric error signals that manifest as temporally overlapping predictive forces and impinge on the retinotopic visual cortex. These forces, which transiently bias putative population sensitivity toward an orthogonal retinotopic foveal region and, around the time of a saccadic eye movement, along an axis orthogonal to the saccade direction toward a mislocalized peripheral region, succinctly capture the essence of our empirical observations.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a family of inherited disorders caused by the progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors. There is no cure for RP, but recent research advances have provided promising results from many clinical trials. All these therapeutic strategies are focused on preserving existing photoreceptors or substituting light-responsive elements. Vision recovery, however, strongly relies on the anatomical and functional integrity of the visual system beyond photoreceptors. Although the retinal structure and optic pathway are substantially preserved at least in early stages of RP, studies describing the visual cortex status are missing. Using a well-established mouse model of RP, we analyzed the response of visual cortical circuits to the progressive degeneration of photoreceptors. We demonstrated that the visual cortex goes through a transient and previously undescribed alteration in the local excitation/inhibition balance, with a net shift towards increased intracortical inhibition leading to improved filtering and decoding of corrupted visual inputs. These results suggest a compensatory action of the visual cortex that increases the range of residual visual sensitivity in RP.

PURPOSE To determine whether there are significant correlations between the focal photopic negative response (PhNR), the focal visual sensitivity and the ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in glaucomatous eyes. STUDY DESIGN Single-center observational study. METHODS Fifty-two eyes of 52 patients (71.4 ± 9.42 years) with clinically diagnosed open angle glaucoma were studied. Thirty-six age-matched normal subjects served as controls. The focal PhNR of the focal macular electroretinograms (fmERGs) were elicited by a 15° circular, a superior semicircular or an inferior semicircular stimulus centered on the fovea. The thickness of the GCC was measured in the corresponding retinal areas in the spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic images. The visual sensitivities (dB) were measured by microperimetry at the retinal area where the fmERGs were elicited and were converted to liner values (1/Lambert). RESULTS The focal PhNR amplitudes were significantly correlated with the visual sensitivities of the full-circle (R = 0.532), the superior (R = 0.530) and inferior (R = 0.526) semicircular responses (P

Visual sensitivity and body pigmentation are often shaped by both natural selection from the environment and sexual selection from mate choice. One way of quantifying the impact of the environment is by measuring how traits have changed after colonization of a novel habitat. To do this, we studied Poecilia mexicana populations that have repeatedly adapted to extreme sulphidic (H2S containing) environments. We measured visual sensitivity using opsin gene expression, as well as body pigmentation and water transmission for populations in four independent drainages. Both visual sensitivity and body pigmentation showed significant parallel shifts towards greater medium wavelength sensitivity and reflectance in sulphidic populations. The light spectrum was only subtly different between environments and overall, we found no significant correlations between the light environment and visual sensitivity or body pigmentation. Altogether we found that sulphidic habitats select for differences in visual sensitivity and pigmentation; our data suggest that this effect is unlikely to be driven purely by the water’s spectral properties and may instead be from other correlated ecological changes.

Objective Individuals with migraine exhibit heightened sensitivity to visual input that continues beyond their migraine episodes. However, the contribution of color to visual sensitivity, and how it relates to neural activity, has largely been unexplored in these individuals. Background Previously, it has been shown that, in non-migraine individuals, patterns with greater chromaticity separation evoked greater cortical activity, regardless of hue, even when colors were isoluminant. Therefore, to investigate whether individuals with migraine experienced increased visual sensitivity, we compared the behavioral and neural responses to chromatic patterns of increasing separation in migraine and non-migraine individuals. Methods Seventeen individuals with migraine (12 with aura) and 18 headache-free controls viewed pairs of colored horizontal grating patterns that varied in chromaticity separation. Color pairs were either blue-green, red-green, or red-blue. Participants rated the discomfort of the gratings and electroencephalogram was recorded simultaneously. Results Both groups showed increased discomfort ratings and larger N1/N2 event-related potentials (ERPs) with greater chromaticity separation, which is consistent with increased cortical excitability. However, individuals with migraine rated gratings as being disproportionately uncomfortable and exhibited greater effects of chromaticity separation in ERP amplitude across occipital and parietal electrodes. Ratings of discomfort and ERPs were smaller in response to the blue-green color pairs than the red-green and red-blue gratings, but this was to an equivalent degree across the 2 groups. Conclusions Together, these findings indicate that greater chromaticity separation increases neural excitation, and that this effect is heightened in migraine, consistent with the theory that hyper-excitability of the visual system is a key signature of migraine.

We report wavelength-specific thresholds of leptocephali of Japanese eels Anguilla japonica determined from their negative-phototactic behaviour. Leptocephali are most sensitive to wavelengths 400-500 nm and at very short wavelengths. Their visual sensitivity decreases more sharply at wavelengths >500 nm than it does at wavelengths

Visual sensitivity is severely impaired during the execution of saccadic eye movements. This phenomenon has been extensively characterized in human psychophysics and nonhuman primate single-neuron studies, but a physiological characterization in humans is less established. Here, we used a method based on steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP), an oscillatory brain response to periodic visual stimulation, to examine how saccades affect visual sensitivity. Observers made horizontal saccades back and forth, while horizontal black-and-white gratings flickered at 5–30 Hz in the background. We analyzed EEG epochs with a length of 0.3 s either centered at saccade onset (saccade epochs) or centered at fixations half a second before the saccade (fixation epochs). Compared with fixation epochs, saccade epochs showed a broadband power increase, which most likely resulted from saccade-related EEG activity. The execution of saccades, however, led to an average reduction of 57% in the SSVEP amplitude at the stimulation frequency. This result provides additional evidence for an active saccadic suppression in the early visual cortex in humans. Compared with previous functional MRI and EEG studies, an advantage of this approach lies in its capability to trace the temporal dynamics of neural activity throughout the time course of a saccade. In contrast to previous electrophysiological studies in nonhuman primates, we did not find any evidence for postsaccadic enhancement, even though simulation results show that our method would have been able to detect it. We conclude that SSVEP is a useful technique to investigate the neural correlates of visual perception during saccadic eye movements in humans. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We make fast ballistic saccadic eye movements a few times every second. At the time of saccades, visual sensitivity is severely impaired. The present study uses steady-state visually evoked potentials to reveal a neural correlate of the fine temporal dynamics of these modulations at the time of saccades in humans. We observed a strong reduction (57%) of visually driven neural activity associated with saccades but did not find any evidence for postsaccadic enhancement.

Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the ability of en face slab images of maculae to detect residual nerve fiber bundles in eyes with advanced glaucoma. Methods: This study included 36 eyes with diffuse thinning of the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers (GCL+IPL). Inclusion criterion was GCL+IPL thickness of