Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus

Studies on contrast sensitivity (CS) testing using optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) proposed adjusting the stimulus presentation duration based on its contrast, to increase the time efficiency of such measurement. Furthermore, stimulus-specific limits of the least OKN gain might reduce false negatives in...

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Main Authors: Peter Essig, Jonas Müller, Siegfried Wahl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/23/11991
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author Peter Essig
Jonas Müller
Siegfried Wahl
author_facet Peter Essig
Jonas Müller
Siegfried Wahl
author_sort Peter Essig
collection DOAJ
description Studies on contrast sensitivity (CS) testing using optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) proposed adjusting the stimulus presentation duration based on its contrast, to increase the time efficiency of such measurement. Furthermore, stimulus-specific limits of the least OKN gain might reduce false negatives in OKN detection procedures. Therefore, we aimed to test the effects of various stimulus characteristics on OKN and to propose the stimulus-specific limits for the OKN gain and stimulus presentation duration. We tested the effect of contrast (<i>C</i>), spatial frequency (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and color on selected parameters of robust OKN response, namely its onset and offset time, amplitude, and gain. The right eyes of fifteen emmetropes were tracked with an infrared eye tracker during monocular observations of sinusoidal gratings moving over the horizontal plane with a velocity of (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>21</mn><mrow><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>∘</mo></msup><mo>/</mo><mi>s</mi></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The available contrast levels were <i>C</i>: 0.5%, 2.0%, 8.2%, 16.5%, 33.0%, and 55.5% presented in a random order for ten times in all measurements of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>: 0.12, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.00 cycles per degree and grating type: luminance, red-green, and blue-yellow. This study showed a significant effect of the stimulus characteristics on the OKN onset, offset and gain. The effect of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> was insignificant in OKN amplitude; however, it indicated significance for the <i>C</i> and grating type. Furthermore, the OKN gain and offset limits were proposed as functions of contrast for the luminance and chromatic gratings. This study concludes the characteristics of a visual stimulus have an effect on the OKN gain and onset and offset time, yet do not affect the eye-movement amplitude considerably. Moreover, the proposed limits are expected to improve the time efficiency and eye-movement detection in OKN-based contrast sensitivity measurements.
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spelling doaj.art-f183b56bfdd545609f7ed9e4361dd1c92023-11-24T10:29:09ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-11-0112231199110.3390/app122311991Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual StimulusPeter Essig0Jonas Müller1Siegfried Wahl2Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyInstitute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyStudies on contrast sensitivity (CS) testing using optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) proposed adjusting the stimulus presentation duration based on its contrast, to increase the time efficiency of such measurement. Furthermore, stimulus-specific limits of the least OKN gain might reduce false negatives in OKN detection procedures. Therefore, we aimed to test the effects of various stimulus characteristics on OKN and to propose the stimulus-specific limits for the OKN gain and stimulus presentation duration. We tested the effect of contrast (<i>C</i>), spatial frequency (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>), and color on selected parameters of robust OKN response, namely its onset and offset time, amplitude, and gain. The right eyes of fifteen emmetropes were tracked with an infrared eye tracker during monocular observations of sinusoidal gratings moving over the horizontal plane with a velocity of (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>21</mn><mrow><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>∘</mo></msup><mo>/</mo><mi>s</mi></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The available contrast levels were <i>C</i>: 0.5%, 2.0%, 8.2%, 16.5%, 33.0%, and 55.5% presented in a random order for ten times in all measurements of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>: 0.12, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.00 cycles per degree and grating type: luminance, red-green, and blue-yellow. This study showed a significant effect of the stimulus characteristics on the OKN onset, offset and gain. The effect of <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi><mi>F</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> was insignificant in OKN amplitude; however, it indicated significance for the <i>C</i> and grating type. Furthermore, the OKN gain and offset limits were proposed as functions of contrast for the luminance and chromatic gratings. This study concludes the characteristics of a visual stimulus have an effect on the OKN gain and onset and offset time, yet do not affect the eye-movement amplitude considerably. Moreover, the proposed limits are expected to improve the time efficiency and eye-movement detection in OKN-based contrast sensitivity measurements.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/23/11991eye trackingdetectionoptokinetic nystagmuscontrast sensitivitycoloradjustments
spellingShingle Peter Essig
Jonas Müller
Siegfried Wahl
Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
Applied Sciences
eye tracking
detection
optokinetic nystagmus
contrast sensitivity
color
adjustments
title Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
title_full Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
title_fullStr Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
title_full_unstemmed Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
title_short Parameters of Optokinetic Nystagmus Are Influenced by the Nature of a Visual Stimulus
title_sort parameters of optokinetic nystagmus are influenced by the nature of a visual stimulus
topic eye tracking
detection
optokinetic nystagmus
contrast sensitivity
color
adjustments
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/23/11991
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