Retinal Responses to Simulated Optical Blur Using a Novel Dead Leaves ERG Stimulus

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate retinal responses to different types and magnitudes of simulated optical blur presented at specific retinal eccentricities using naturalistic images. Methods Electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded from 27 adults using 30-degree dead leaves naturalistic images, digitally blurred with one of three types of optical blur (defocus, astigmatism, and spherical aberrations), and one of three magnitudes (0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 µm) of blur. Digitally computed blur was applied to the entire image, or on an area outside the central 6 degrees or 12 degrees of retinal eccentricity. Results ERGs were significantly affected by blur type, magnitude, and retinal eccentricity. ERGs were differentially affected by defocus and spherical aberrations; however, astigmatism had no effect on the ERGs. When blur was applied only beyond the central 12 degrees eccentricity, the ERGs were unaffected. However, when blur was applied outside the central 6 degrees, the ERG responses were significantly reduced and were no different from the ERGs recorded with entirely blurred images. Conclusions Blur type, magnitude, and location all affect the retinal responses. Our data indicate that the retinal area between 6 and 12 degrees eccentricity has the largest effect on the retinal responses to blur. In addition, certain optical blur types appear to have a more detrimental effect on the ERGs than others. These results cannot be solely explained by changes to image contrast and spatial frequency content, suggesting that retinal neurons might be sensitive to spatial cues in order to differentiate between different blur types.