Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity.
Short- and long-wavelength light can alter pupillary responses differently, allowing inferences to be made about the contribution of different photoreceptors on pupillary constriction. In addition to classical retinal photoreceptors, the pupillary light response is formed by the activity of melanops...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286503 |
| _version_ | 1797811023543009280 |
|---|---|
| author | Tim Schilling Mojtaba Soltanlou Hans-Christoph Nuerk Hamed Bahmani |
| author_facet | Tim Schilling Mojtaba Soltanlou Hans-Christoph Nuerk Hamed Bahmani |
| author_sort | Tim Schilling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Short- and long-wavelength light can alter pupillary responses differently, allowing inferences to be made about the contribution of different photoreceptors on pupillary constriction. In addition to classical retinal photoreceptors, the pupillary light response is formed by the activity of melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC). It has been shown in rodents that melanopsin is expressed in the axons of ipRGCs that bundle at the optic nerve head, which forms the perceptual blind-spot. Hence, the first aim of this study was to investigate if blind-spot stimulation induces a pupillary response. The second aim was to investigate the effect of blind-spot stimulation by using the contrast sensitivity tests. Fifteen individuals participated in the pupil response experiment and thirty-two individuals in the contrast sensitivity experiment. The pupillary change was quantified using the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) amplitudes after blue-light (experimental condition) and red-light (control condition) pulses in the time window between 2 s and 6 s post-illumination. The contrast sensitivity was assessed using two different tests: the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test and Contrast Test and the Tuebingen Contrast Sensitivity Test, respectively. Contrast sensitivity was measured before and 20 minutes after binocular blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot at spatial frequencies higher than or equal to 3 cycles per degree (cpd) and at spatial frequencies lower than 3 cpd (control condition). Blue-light blind-spot stimulation induced a significantly larger PIPR compared to red-light, confirming a melanopsin-mediated pupil-response in the blind-spot. Furthermore, contrast sensitivity was increased after blind-spot stimulation, confirmed by both contrast sensitivity tests. Only spatial frequencies of at least 3 cpd were enhanced. This study demonstrates that stimulating the blind-spot with blue-light constricts the pupil and increases the contrast sensitivity at higher spatial frequencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:16:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2174aa8e44d47de83759216ad87a93e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:16:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2174aa8e44d47de83759216ad87a93e2023-06-05T05:32:08ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01185e028650310.1371/journal.pone.0286503Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity.Tim SchillingMojtaba SoltanlouHans-Christoph NuerkHamed BahmaniShort- and long-wavelength light can alter pupillary responses differently, allowing inferences to be made about the contribution of different photoreceptors on pupillary constriction. In addition to classical retinal photoreceptors, the pupillary light response is formed by the activity of melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC). It has been shown in rodents that melanopsin is expressed in the axons of ipRGCs that bundle at the optic nerve head, which forms the perceptual blind-spot. Hence, the first aim of this study was to investigate if blind-spot stimulation induces a pupillary response. The second aim was to investigate the effect of blind-spot stimulation by using the contrast sensitivity tests. Fifteen individuals participated in the pupil response experiment and thirty-two individuals in the contrast sensitivity experiment. The pupillary change was quantified using the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) amplitudes after blue-light (experimental condition) and red-light (control condition) pulses in the time window between 2 s and 6 s post-illumination. The contrast sensitivity was assessed using two different tests: the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test and Contrast Test and the Tuebingen Contrast Sensitivity Test, respectively. Contrast sensitivity was measured before and 20 minutes after binocular blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot at spatial frequencies higher than or equal to 3 cycles per degree (cpd) and at spatial frequencies lower than 3 cpd (control condition). Blue-light blind-spot stimulation induced a significantly larger PIPR compared to red-light, confirming a melanopsin-mediated pupil-response in the blind-spot. Furthermore, contrast sensitivity was increased after blind-spot stimulation, confirmed by both contrast sensitivity tests. Only spatial frequencies of at least 3 cpd were enhanced. This study demonstrates that stimulating the blind-spot with blue-light constricts the pupil and increases the contrast sensitivity at higher spatial frequencies.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286503 |
| spellingShingle | Tim Schilling Mojtaba Soltanlou Hans-Christoph Nuerk Hamed Bahmani Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. PLoS ONE |
| title | Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. |
| title_full | Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. |
| title_fullStr | Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. |
| title_short | Blue-light stimulation of the blind-spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity. |
| title_sort | blue light stimulation of the blind spot constricts the pupil and enhances contrast sensitivity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286503 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT timschilling bluelightstimulationoftheblindspotconstrictsthepupilandenhancescontrastsensitivity AT mojtabasoltanlou bluelightstimulationoftheblindspotconstrictsthepupilandenhancescontrastsensitivity AT hanschristophnuerk bluelightstimulationoftheblindspotconstrictsthepupilandenhancescontrastsensitivity AT hamedbahmani bluelightstimulationoftheblindspotconstrictsthepupilandenhancescontrastsensitivity |