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Fukushima M, Leibnitz K. Effects of packetization on communication dynamics in brain networks. Netw Neurosci 2024; 8:418-436. [PMID: 38952819 PMCID: PMC11142457 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Computational studies in network neuroscience build models of communication dynamics in the connectome that help us understand the structure-function relationships of the brain. In these models, the dynamics of cortical signal transmission in brain networks are approximated with simple propagation strategies such as random walks and shortest path routing. Furthermore, the signal transmission dynamics in brain networks can be associated with the switching architectures of engineered communication systems (e.g., message switching and packet switching). However, it has been unclear how propagation strategies and switching architectures are related in models of brain network communication. Here, we investigate the effects of the difference between packet switching and message switching (i.e., whether signals are packetized or not) on the transmission completion time of propagation strategies when simulating signal propagation in mammalian brain networks. The results show that packetization in the connectome with hubs increases the time of the random walk strategy and does not change that of the shortest path strategy, but decreases that of more plausible strategies for brain networks that balance between communication speed and information requirements. This finding suggests an advantage of packet-switched communication in the connectome and provides new insights into modeling the communication dynamics in brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Fukushima
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Leibnitz
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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2
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Peterson LM, Kersten DJ, Mannion DJ. Estimating lighting direction in scenes with multiple objects. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:186-212. [PMID: 37563515 PMCID: PMC10769980 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02718-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
To recover the reflectance and shape of an object in a scene, the human visual system must account for the properties of the light illuminating the object. Here, we examine the extent to which multiple objects within a scene are utilised to estimate the direction of lighting in a scene. In Experiment 1, we presented participants with rendered scenes that contained 1, 9, or 25 unfamiliar blob-like objects and measured their capacity to discriminate whether a directional light source was left or right of the participants' vantage point. Trends reported for ensemble perception suggest that the number of utilised objects-and, consequently, discrimination sensitivity-would increase with set size. However, we find little indication that increasing the number of objects in a scene increased discrimination sensitivity. In Experiment 2, an equivalent noise analysis was used to measure participants' internal noise and the number of objects used to judge the average light source direction in a scene, finding that participants relied on 1 or 2 objects to make their judgement regardless of whether 9 or 25 objects were present. In Experiment 3, participants completed a shape identification task that required an implicit judgement of light source direction, rather than an explicit judgement as in Experiments 1 and 2. We find that sensitivity for identifying surface shape was comparable for scenes containing 1, 9, and 25 objects. Our results suggest that the visual system relied on a small number of objects to estimate the direction of lighting in our rendered scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel J Kersten
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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3
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Bocchero U, Pahlberg J. Origin of Discrete and Continuous Dark Noise in Rod Photoreceptors. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0390-23.2023. [PMID: 37973380 PMCID: PMC10687842 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0390-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection of a single photon by a rod photoreceptor is limited by two sources of physiological noise, called discrete and continuous noise. Discrete noise occurs as intermittent current deflections with a waveform very similar to that of the single-photon response to real light and is thought to be produced by spontaneous activation of rhodopsin. Continuous noise occurs as random and continuous fluctuations in outer-segment current and is usually attributed to some intermediate in the phototransduction cascade. To confirm the origin of these noise sources, we have recorded from retinas of mouse lines with rods having reduced levels of rhodopsin, transducin, or phosphodiesterase. We show that the rate of discrete noise is diminished in proportion to the decrease in rhodopsin concentration, and that continuous noise is independent of transducin concentration but clearly elevated when the level of phosphodiesterase is reduced. Our experiments provide new molecular evidence that discrete noise is indeed produced by rhodopsin itself, and that continuous noise is generated by spontaneous activation of phosphodiesterase resulting in random fluctuations in outer-segment current.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulisse Bocchero
- Photoreceptor Physiology Group, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
| | - Johan Pahlberg
- Photoreceptor Physiology Group, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
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4
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Ding L. Contributions of the Basal Ganglia to Visual Perceptual Decisions. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2023; 9:385-407. [PMID: 37713277 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-111022-123804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) make up a prominent nexus between visual and motor-related brain regions. In contrast to the BG's well-established roles in movement control and value-based decision making, their contributions to the transformation of visual input into an action remain unclear, especially in the context of perceptual decisions based on uncertain visual evidence. This article reviews recent progress in our understanding of the BG's contributions to the formation, evaluation, and adjustment of such decisions. From theoretical and experimental perspectives, the review focuses on four key stations in the BG network, namely, the striatum, pallidum, subthalamic nucleus, and midbrain dopamine neurons, which can have different roles and together support the decision process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Ding
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
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5
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Alarcon Carrillo S, Hess RF, Mao Y, Zhou J, Baldwin AS. Amblyopic stereo vision is efficient but noisy. Vision Res 2023; 210:108267. [PMID: 37285783 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
People with amblyopia demonstrate a reduced ability to judge depth using stereopsis. Our understanding of this deficit is limited, as standard clinical stereo tests may not be suited to give a quantitative account of the residual stereo ability in amblyopia. In this study we used a stereo test designed specifically for that purpose. Participants identified the location of a disparity-defined odd-one-out target within a random-dot display. We tested 29 amblyopic (3 strabismic, 17 anisometropic, 9 mixed) participants and 17 control participants. We obtained stereoacuity thresholds from 59% of our amblyopic participants. There was a factor of two difference between the median stereoacuity of our amblyopic (103 arcsec) and control (56 arcsec) groups. We used the equivalent noise method to evaluate the role of equivalent internal noise and processing efficiency in amblyopic stereopsis. Using the linear amplifier model (LAM), we determined the threshold difference was due to a greater equivalent internal noise in the amblyopic group (238 vs 135 arcsec), with no significant difference in processing efficiency. A multiple linear regression determined 56% of the stereoacuity variance within the amblyopic group was predicted by the two LAM parameters, with equivalent internal noise predicting 46% alone. Analysis of control group data aligned with our previous work, finding that trade-offs between equivalent internal noise and efficiency play a greater role. Our results allow a better understanding of what is limiting amblyopic performance in our task. We find this to be a reduced quality of disparity signals in the input to the task-specific processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Alarcon Carrillo
- McGill University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robert F Hess
- McGill University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Montreal, Canada
| | - Yu Mao
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Alex S Baldwin
- McGill University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Montreal, Canada.
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6
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Lu ZL, Dosher BA. Hierarchical Bayesian perceptual template modeling of mechanisms of spatial attention in central and peripheral cuing. J Vis 2023; 23:12. [PMID: 36826825 PMCID: PMC9973531 DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.2.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The external noise paradigm and perceptual template model (PTM) have successfully been applied to characterize observer properties and mechanisms of observer state changes (e.g. attention and perceptual learning) in several research domains, focusing on individual level analysis. In this study, we developed a new hierarchical Bayesian perceptual template model (HBPTM) to model the trial-by-trial data from all individuals and conditions in a published spatial cuing study within a single structure and compared its performance to that of a Bayesian Inference Procedure (BIP), which separately infers the posterior distributions of the model parameters for each individual subject without the hierarchical structure. The HBPTM allowed us to compute the joint posterior distribution of the hyperparameters and parameters at the population, observer, and experiment levels and make statistical inferences at all these levels. In addition, we ran a large simulation study that varied the number of observers and number of trials in each condition and demonstrated the advantage of the HBPTM over the BIP across all the simulated datasets. Although it is developed in the context of spatial attention, the HBPTM and its extensions can be used to model data from the external noise paradigm in other domains and enable predictions of human performance at both the population and individual levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Lin Lu
- Division of Arts and Sciences, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, Shanghai, China.,
| | - Barbara Anne Dosher
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,
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7
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Abstract
The ability to see colour at night is known only from a handful of animals. First discovered in the elephant hawk moth Deilephila elpenor, nocturnal colour vision is now known from two other species of hawk moths, a single species of carpenter bee, a nocturnal gecko and two species of anurans. The reason for this rarity—particularly in vertebrates—is the immense challenge of achieving a sufficient visual signal-to-noise ratio to support colour discrimination in dim light. Although no less challenging for nocturnal insects, unique optical and neural adaptations permit reliable colour vision and colour constancy even in starlight. Using the well-studied Deilephila elpenor, we describe the visual light environment at night, the visual challenges that this environment imposes and the adaptations that have evolved to overcome them. We also explain the advantages of colour vision for nocturnal insects and its usefulness in discriminating night-opening flowers. Colour vision is probably widespread in nocturnal insects, particularly pollinators, where it is likely crucial for nocturnal pollination. This relatively poorly understood but vital ecosystem service is threatened from increasingly abundant and spectrally abnormal sources of anthropogenic light pollution, which can disrupt colour vision and thus the discrimination and pollination of flowers. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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8
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Bagheri ZM, Jessop AL, Partridge JC, Osborn KJ, Hemmi JM. A new computational model illuminates the extraordinary eyes of Phronima. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010545. [PMID: 36251706 PMCID: PMC9576097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Vision in the midwater of the open ocean requires animals to perform visual tasks quite unlike those of any other environment. These tasks consist of detecting small, low contrast objects and point sources against a relatively dim and uniform background. Deep-sea animals have evolved many extraordinary visual adaptations to perform these tasks. Linking eye anatomy to specific selective pressures, however, is challenging, not least because of the many difficulties of studying deep-sea animals. Computational modelling of vision, based on detailed morphological reconstructions of animal eyes, along with underwater optics, offers a chance to understand the specific visual capabilities of individual visual systems. Prior to the work presented here, comprehensive models for apposition compound eyes in the mesopelagic, the dominant eye form of crustaceans, were lacking. We adapted a model developed for single-lens eyes and used it to examine how different parameters affect the model’s ability to detect point sources and extended objects. This new model also allowed us to examine spatial summation as a means to improve visual performance. Our results identify a trade-off between increased depth range over which eyes function effectively and increased distance at which extended objects can be detected. This trade-off is driven by the size of the ommatidial acceptance angle. We also show that if neighbouring ommatidia have overlapping receptive fields, spatial summation helps with all detection tasks, including the detection of bioluminescent point sources. By applying our model to the apposition compound eyes of Phronima, a mesopelagic hyperiid amphipod, we show that the specialisations of the large medial eyes of Phronima improve both the detection of point sources and of extended objects. The medial eyes outperformed the lateral eyes at every modelled detection task. We suggest that the small visual field size of Phronima’s medial eyes and the strong asymmetry between the medial and lateral eyes reflect Phronima’s need for effective vision across a large depth range and its habit of living inside a barrel. The barrel’s narrow aperture limits the usefulness of a large visual field and has allowed a strong asymmetry between the medial and lateral eyes. The model provides a useful tool for future investigations into the visual abilities of apposition compound eyes in the deep sea. How do animals see the world? This is particularly an interesting question when the animal’s eyes look very different from our own, or if they inhabit an environment that is visually very different from ours. Biologists approach this question by seeking to determine not only how animal eyes function but also what selective pressures led to the evolution of their eyes. Understanding the eyes of deep-sea animals is particularly intriguing and more challenging than usual because their visual world is so dramatically different from our own and they are inaccessible and therefore hard to study. Understanding their visual capabilities by behavioural or physiological experiments is at best extremely challenging and often impossible. However, modelling of their visual abilities, by combining knowledge about ocular anatomy with information about the way light propagates in the deep sea, is comparatively tractable. Here we present a computational model that predicts the ability of apposition compound eyes (eyes that are widely found in many arthropod invertebrates) to detect salient visual targets in the deep sea between 200 and 700 m below the surface. We use this model specifically to examine the extraordinary ‘double eyes’ of the midwater hyperiid amphipod Phronima that have perplexed scientists for decades. This allowed us to put forward a new hypothesis about the selective pressures that have led to Phronima’s unusual eyes. The predictive model we present here also provides a framework for future assessments of visual performance of apposition compound eyes in other deep-sea animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra M. Bagheri
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail: (ZMB); (A-LJ)
| | - Anna-Lee Jessop
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail: (ZMB); (A-LJ)
| | - Julian C. Partridge
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Karen J. Osborn
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California, United States of America
| | - Jan M. Hemmi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America
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9
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Stöckl AL, Foster JJ. Night skies through animals' eyes-Quantifying night-time visual scenes and light pollution as viewed by animals. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:984282. [PMID: 36274987 PMCID: PMC9582234 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.984282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A large proportion of animal species enjoy the benefits of being active at night, and have evolved the corresponding optical and neural adaptations to cope with the challenges of low light intensities. However, over the past century electric lighting has introduced direct and indirect light pollution into the full range of terrestrial habitats, changing nocturnal animals' visual worlds dramatically. To understand how these changes affect nocturnal behavior, we here propose an animal-centered analysis method based on environmental imaging. This approach incorporates the sensitivity and acuity limits of individual species, arriving at predictions of photon catch relative to noise thresholds, contrast distributions, and the orientation cues nocturnal species can extract from visual scenes. This analysis relies on just a limited number of visual system parameters known for each species. By accounting for light-adaptation in our analysis, we are able to make more realistic predictions of the information animals can extract from nocturnal visual scenes under different levels of light pollution. With this analysis method, we aim to provide context for the interpretation of behavioral findings, and to allow researchers to generate specific hypotheses for the behavior of nocturnal animals in observed light-polluted scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lisa Stöckl
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - James Jonathan Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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10
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Zhang P, Guo Y, Qiao Y, Yan N, Zhang Y, Ren W, Zhang S, Wu D. Acute Alcohol Intake Affects Internal Additive Noise and the Perceptual Template in Visual Perception. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:873671. [PMID: 35645717 PMCID: PMC9136069 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.873671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A reduction in visual performance is among the serious consequences of acute alcohol intake. Contrast sensitivity (CS) is a fundamental feature of visual function. Here, we investigated the negative effect of a moderate dose of alcohol on CS across a wide range of spatial frequencies and with multiple levels of external noise and clarified the corresponding mechanisms in the context of a perceptual template model (PTM). To avoid the effect of alcohol washout, a quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) method was used to assess the visual performance of subjects before and 30 min after a moderate dose of alcohol intake. We found that (1) CS was significantly disrupted by acute alcohol intake; (2) alcohol-induced CS loss was dependent on spatial frequency and external noise; and (3) increased internal additive noise and an impaired perceptual template accounted for alcohol-induced CS loss. These results help us better understand the negative effect of alcohol consumption and provide guidance for driver safety studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yeshuo Guo
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yuxin Qiao
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Nan Yan
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Weicong Ren
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Shilei Zhang
- Huihua College, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- *Correspondence: Shilei Zhang,
| | - Di Wu
- Military Medical Psychology School, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Di Wu,
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11
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Abstract
Perhaps the most recognizable “sensory map” in neuroscience is the somatosensory homunculus. Although the homunculus suggests a direct link between cortical territory and body part, the relationship is actually ambiguous without a decoder that knows this mapping. How the somatosensory system derives a spatial code from an activation in the homunculus is a longstanding mystery we aimed to solve. We propose that touch location is disambiguated using multilateration, a computation used by surveying and global positioning systems to localize objects. We develop a Bayesian formulation of multilateration, which we implement in a neural network to identify its computational signature. We then detect this signature in psychophysical experiments. Our results suggest that multilateration provides the homunculus-to-body mapping necessary for localizing touch. Perhaps the most recognizable sensory map in all of neuroscience is the somatosensory homunculus. Although it seems straightforward, this simple representation belies the complex link between an activation in a somatotopic map and the associated touch location on the body. Any isolated activation is spatially ambiguous without a neural decoder that can read its position within the entire map, but how this is computed by neural networks is unknown. We propose that the somatosensory system implements multilateration, a common computation used by surveying and global positioning systems to localize objects. Specifically, to decode touch location on the body, multilateration estimates the relative distance between the afferent input and the boundaries of a body part (e.g., the joints of a limb). We show that a simple feedforward neural network, which captures several fundamental receptive field properties of cortical somatosensory neurons, can implement a Bayes-optimal multilateral computation. Simulations demonstrated that this decoder produced a pattern of localization variability between two boundaries that was unique to multilateration. Finally, we identify this computational signature of multilateration in actual psychophysical experiments, suggesting that it is a candidate computational mechanism underlying tactile localization.
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12
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Simunovic MP, Grigg J, Mahroo O. Vision at the limits: absolute threshold, visual function, and outcomes in clinical trials. Surv Ophthalmol 2022; 67:1270-1286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Real models: The limits of behavioural evidence for understanding the ANS. Behav Brain Sci 2021; 44:e186. [PMID: 34907874 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x21001151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Clarke and Beck use behavioural evidence to argue that (1) approximate ratio computations are sufficient for claiming that the approximate number system (ANS) represents the rationals, and (2) the ANS does not represent the reals. We argue that pure behaviour is a poor litmus test for this problem, and that we should trust the psychophysical models that place ANS representations within the reals.
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14
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Attia S, King A, Varnet L, Ponsot E, Lorenzi C. Double-pass consistency for amplitude- and frequency-modulation detection in normal-hearing listeners. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:3631. [PMID: 34852611 DOI: 10.1121/10.0006811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) provide crucial auditory information. If FM is encoded as AM, it should be possible to give a unified account of AM and FM perception both in terms of response consistency and performance. These two aspects of behavior were estimated for normal-hearing participants using a constant-stimuli, forced-choice detection task repeated twice with the same stimuli (double pass). Sinusoidal AM or FM with rates of 2 or 20 Hz were applied to a 500-Hz pure-tone carrier and presented at detection threshold. All stimuli were masked by a modulation noise. Percent agreement of responses across passes and percent-correct detection for the two passes were used to estimate consistency and performance, respectively. These data were simulated using a model implementing peripheral processes, a central modulation filterbank, an additive internal noise, and a template-matching device. Different levels of internal noise were required to reproduce AM and FM data, but a single level could account for the 2- and 20-Hz AM data. As for FM, two levels of internal noise were needed to account for detection at slow and fast rates. Finally, the level of internal noise yielding best predictions increased with the level of the modulation-noise masker. Overall, these results suggest that different sources of internal variability are involved for AM and FM detection at low audio frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Attia
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs (CNRS 8248), Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Andrew King
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs (CNRS 8248), Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Léo Varnet
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs (CNRS 8248), Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Ponsot
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs (CNRS 8248), Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Christian Lorenzi
- Laboratoire des systèmes perceptifs (CNRS 8248), Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
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15
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Zhao Y, Lesmes LA, Dorr M, Lu ZL. Quantifying Uncertainty of the Estimated Visual Acuity Behavioral Function With Hierarchical Bayesian Modeling. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:18. [PMID: 34647962 PMCID: PMC8525832 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.12.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The goal of this study is to develop a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM) to better quantify uncertainty in visual acuity (VA) tests by incorporating the relationship between VA threshold and range across multiple individuals and tests. Methods The three-level HBM consisted of multiple two-dimensional Gaussian distributions of hyperparameters and parameters of the VA behavioral function (VABF) at the population, individual, and test levels. The model was applied to a dataset of quantitative VA (qVA) assessments of 14 eyes in 4 Bangerter foil conditions. We quantified uncertainties of the estimated VABF parameters (VA threshold and range) from the HBM and compared them with those from the qVA. Results The HBM recovered covariances between VABF parameters and provided better fits to the data than the qVA. It reduced the uncertainty of their estimates by 4.2% to 45.8%. The reduction of uncertainty, on average, resulted in 3 fewer rows needed to reach a 95% accuracy in detecting a 0.15 logMAR change of VA threshold or both parameters than the qVA. Conclusions The HBM utilized knowledge across individuals and tests in a single model and provided better quantification of the uncertainty of the estimated VABF, especially when the number of tested rows was relatively small. Translational Relevance The HBM can increase the accuracy in detecting VA changes. Further research is necessary to evaluate its potential in clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukai Zhao
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Michael Dorr
- Adaptive Sensory Technology Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Division of Arts and Sciences, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China.,Center for Neural Science and Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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16
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Rider AT, Henning GB, Stockman A. A reinterpretation of critical flicker-frequency (CFF) data reveals key details about light adaptation and normal and abnormal visual processing. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 87:101001. [PMID: 34506951 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Our ability to see flicker has an upper frequency limit above which flicker is invisible, known as the "critical flicker frequency" (CFF), that typically grows with light intensity (I). The relation between CFF and I, the focus of nearly 200 years of research, is roughly logarithmic, i.e., CFF ∝ log(I)-a relation called the Ferry-Porter law. However, why this law should occur, and how it relates to the underlying physiology, have never been adequately explained. Over the past two decades we have measured CFF in normal observers and in patients with retinal gene defects. Here, we reanalyse and model our data and historical CFF data. Remarkably, CFF-versus-I functions measured under a wide range of conditions in patients and in normal observers all have broadly similar shapes when plotted in double-logarithmic coordinates, i.e., log (CFF)-versus-log(I). Thus, the entire dataset can be characterised by horizontal and vertical logarithmic shifts of a fixed-shape template. Shape invariance can be predicted by a simple model of visual processing built from a sequence of low-pass filters, subtractive feedforward stages and gain adjustment (Rider, Henning & Stockman, 2019). It depends primarily on the numbers of visual processing stages that approach their power-law region at a given intensity and a frequency-independent gain reduction at higher light levels. Counter-intuitively, the CFF-versus-I relation depends primarily on the gain of the visual response rather than its speed-a conclusion that changes our understanding and interpretation of human flicker perception. The Ferry-Porter "law" is merely an approximation of the shape-invariant template.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Rider
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, England, UK
| | - G Bruce Henning
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, England, UK
| | - Andrew Stockman
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, England, UK.
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17
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Weber AI, Shea-Brown E, Rieke F. Identification of Multiple Noise Sources Improves Estimation of Neural Responses across Stimulus Conditions. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0191-21.2021. [PMID: 34083382 PMCID: PMC8260275 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0191-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most models of neural responses are constructed to reproduce the average response to inputs but lack the flexibility to capture observed variability in responses. The origins and structure of this variability have significant implications for how information is encoded and processed in the nervous system, both by limiting information that can be conveyed and by determining processing strategies that are favorable for minimizing its negative effects. Here, we present a new modeling framework that incorporates multiple sources of noise to better capture observed features of neural response variability across stimulus conditions. We apply this model to retinal ganglion cells at two different ambient light levels and demonstrate that it captures the full distribution of responses. Further, the model reveals light level-dependent changes that could not be seen with previous models, showing both large changes in rectification of nonlinear circuit elements and systematic differences in the contributions of different noise sources under different conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison I Weber
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Eric Shea-Brown
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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18
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Nakayama K. Coming of Age in Science: Just Look? Annu Rev Vis Sci 2021; 7:1-17. [PMID: 34086479 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100419-120946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
With Professor Patrick Cavanagh, I started the Harvard Vision Sciences Laboratory in 1990. Blessed with the largesse of a wealthy university, we occupied a very large common space. Here, students pursued their own projects in a uniquely cooperative and exciting scientific environment. The times were just right in the emerging and expanding field of vision science. With good thesis projects under their belt, most of the students went on to successful careers. However, my own coming of age in science did not have such promising start. It only started well into my thirties when I joined the Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco. Providentially, it was there that I had the rare and unique opportunity to work closely and essentially only with peers (not students). Through these intense collaborations, I found my way as a scientist. Most of this account describes these formative years. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 7 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Nakayama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
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19
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Hays CL, Sladek AL, Field GD, Thoreson WB. Properties of multivesicular release from mouse rod photoreceptors support transmission of single-photon responses. eLife 2021; 10:67446. [PMID: 33769285 PMCID: PMC8032395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vision under starlight requires rod photoreceptors to transduce and transmit single-photon responses to the visual system. Small single-photon voltage changes must therefore cause detectable reductions in glutamate release. We found that rods achieve this by employing mechanisms that enhance release regularity and its sensitivity to small voltage changes. At the resting membrane potential in darkness, mouse rods exhibit coordinated and regularly timed multivesicular release events, each consisting of ~17 vesicles and occurring two to three times more regularly than predicted by Poisson statistics. Hyperpolarizing rods to mimic the voltage change produced by a single photon abruptly reduced the probability of multivesicular release nearly to zero with a rebound increase at stimulus offset. Simulations of these release dynamics indicate that this regularly timed, multivesicular release promotes transmission of single-photon responses to post-synaptic rod-bipolar cells. Furthermore, the mechanism is efficient, requiring lower overall release rates than uniquantal release governed by Poisson statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hays
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, United States.,Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Omaha, United States
| | - Asia L Sladek
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Omaha, United States
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, United States
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, United States.,Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Omaha, United States
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20
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Corbo JC. Vitamin A 1/A 2 chromophore exchange: Its role in spectral tuning and visual plasticity. Dev Biol 2021; 475:145-155. [PMID: 33684435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate rod and cone photoreceptors detect light via a specialized organelle called the outer segment. This structure is packed with light-sensitive molecules known as visual pigments that consist of a G-protein-coupled, seven-transmembrane protein known as opsin, and a chromophore prosthetic group, either 11-cis retinal ('A1') or 11-cis 3,4-didehydroretinal ('A2'). The enzyme cyp27c1 converts A1 into A2 in the retinal pigment epithelium. Replacing A1 with A2 in a visual pigment red-shifts its spectral sensitivity and broadens its bandwidth of absorption at the expense of decreased photosensitivity and increased thermal noise. The use of vitamin A2-based visual pigments is strongly associated with the occupation of aquatic habitats in which the ambient light is red-shifted. By modulating the A1/A2 ratio in the retina, an organism can dynamically tune the spectral sensitivity of the visual system to better match the predominant wavelengths of light in its environment. As many as a quarter of all vertebrate species utilize A2, at least during a part of their life cycle or under certain environmental conditions. A2 utilization therefore represents an important and widespread mechanism of sensory plasticity. This review provides an up-to-date account of the A1/A2 chromophore exchange system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Corbo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 63110, United States.
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21
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22
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Sejnowski TJ. Horace Barlow: a vision scientist for the ages. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2021; 115:115-116. [PMID: 33433697 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-020-00855-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Terrence J Sejnowski
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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23
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Threshold vision under full-field stimulation: Revisiting the minimum number of quanta necessary to evoke a visual sensation. Vision Res 2020; 180:1-10. [PMID: 33359896 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
At the absolute threshold of vision, Hecht, Shlaer and Pirenne estimate that 5-14 photons are absorbed within a retinal area containing ~500 rods. Other estimates of scotopic threshold vision based on stimuli with different durations and focal areas range up to ~100,000 photons. Given that rod density varies with retinal eccentricity and the magnitude of the intrinsic noise increases with increasing stimulus area and duration, here we determine whether the scotopic threshold estimates with focal stimuli can be extended to full-field stimulation and whether summation explains inter-study differences. We show that full-field threshold vision (~1018 mm2, 10 ms duration) is more sensitive than at absolute threshold, requiring the absorption of ~1000 photons across ~91.96 million rods. A summation model is presented integrating our and published data and using a nominal exposure duration, criterion frequency of seeing, rod density, and retinal area that largely explains the inter-study differences and allows estimation of rods per photon ratio for any stimulus size and duration. The highest signal to noise ratio is defined by a peak rod convergence estimated at 53:4:1:2 (rods:rod bipolar cells:AII amacrine cells:retinal ganglion cells), in line with macaque anatomical estimates that show AII amacrine cells form the bottleneck in the rod pathway to set the scotopic visual limit. Our model estimations that the rods per photon ratio under full-field stimulation is ~3000X higher than at absolute threshold are in accordance with visual summation effects and provide an alternative approach for understanding the limits of scotopic vision.
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24
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Liu R, Kwon M. Increased Equivalent Input Noise in Glaucomatous Central Vision: Is it Due to Undersampling of Retinal Ganglion Cells? Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:10. [PMID: 32645132 PMCID: PMC7425734 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.8.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Recent evidence shows that macular damage is common even in early stages of glaucoma. Here we investigated whether contrast sensitivity loss in the central vision of glaucoma patients is due to an increase in equivalent input noise (Neq), a decrease in calculation efficiency, or both. We also examined how retinal undersampling resulting from loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) may affect Neq and calculation efficiency. Methods This study included 21 glaucoma patients and 23 age-matched normally sighted individuals. Threshold contrast for orientation discrimination was measured with a sinewave grating embedded in varying levels of external noise. Data were fitted to the linear amplifier model (LAM) to factor contrast sensitivity into Neq and calculation efficiency. We also correlated macular RGC counts estimated from structural (spectral-domain optical coherence tomography) and functional (standard automated perimetry Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm 10-2) data with either Neq or efficiency. Furthermore, using analytical and computer simulation approach, the relative effect of retinal undersampling on Neq and efficiency was evaluated by adding the RGC sampling module into the LAM. Results Compared with normal controls, glaucoma patients exhibited a significantly larger Neq without significant difference in efficiency. Neq was significantly correlated with Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity and macular RGC counts. The results from analytical derivation and model simulation further demonstrated that Neq can be expressed as a function of internal noise and retinal sampling. Conclusions Our results showed that equivalent input noise is significantly elevated in glaucomatous vision, thereby impairing foveal contrast sensitivity. Our findings further elucidated how undersampling at the retinal level may increase equivalent input noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - MiYoung Kwon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
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25
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de Busserolles F, Fogg L, Cortesi F, Marshall J. The exceptional diversity of visual adaptations in deep-sea teleost fishes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 106:20-30. [PMID: 32536437 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The deep-sea is the largest and one of the dimmest habitats on earth. In this extreme environment, every photon counts and may make the difference between life and death for its inhabitants. Two sources of light are present in the deep-sea; downwelling light, that becomes dimmer and spectrally narrower with increasing depth until completely disappearing at around 1000 m, and bioluminescence, the light emitted by animals themselves. Despite these relatively dark and inhospitable conditions, many teleost fish have made the deep-sea their home, relying heavily on vision to survive. Their visual systems have had to adapt, sometimes in astonishing and bizarre ways. This review examines some aspects of the visual system of deep-sea teleosts and highlights the exceptional diversity in both optical and retinal specialisations. We also reveal how widespread several of these adaptations are across the deep-sea teleost phylogeny. Finally, the significance of some recent findings as well as the surprising diversity in visual adaptations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny de Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Lily Fogg
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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26
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Fundamental bounds on the fidelity of sensory cortical coding. Nature 2020; 580:100-105. [PMID: 32238928 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2130-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How the brain processes information accurately despite stochastic neural activity is a longstanding question1. For instance, perception is fundamentally limited by the information that the brain can extract from the noisy dynamics of sensory neurons. Seminal experiments2,3 suggest that correlated noise in sensory cortical neural ensembles is what limits their coding accuracy4-6, although how correlated noise affects neural codes remains debated7-11. Recent theoretical work proposes that how a neural ensemble's sensory tuning properties relate statistically to its correlated noise patterns is a greater determinant of coding accuracy than is absolute noise strength12-14. However, without simultaneous recordings from thousands of cortical neurons with shared sensory inputs, it is unknown whether correlated noise limits coding fidelity. Here we present a 16-beam, two-photon microscope to monitor activity across the mouse primary visual cortex, along with analyses to quantify the information conveyed by large neural ensembles. We found that, in the visual cortex, correlated noise constrained signalling for ensembles with 800-1,300 neurons. Several noise components of the ensemble dynamics grew proportionally to the ensemble size and the encoded visual signals, revealing the predicted information-limiting correlations12-14. Notably, visual signals were perpendicular to the largest noise mode, which therefore did not limit coding fidelity. The information-limiting noise modes were approximately ten times smaller and concordant with mouse visual acuity15. Therefore, cortical design principles appear to enhance coding accuracy by restricting around 90% of noise fluctuations to modes that do not limit signalling fidelity, whereas much weaker correlated noise modes inherently bound sensory discrimination.
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27
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Subramanian K, Weigert M, Borsch O, Petzold H, Garcia-Ulloa A, Myers EW, Ader M, Solovei I, Kreysing M. Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice. eLife 2019; 8:49542. [PMID: 31825309 PMCID: PMC6974353 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rod photoreceptors of nocturnal mammals display a striking inversion of nuclear architecture, which has been proposed as an evolutionary adaptation to dark environments. However, the nature of visual benefits and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. It is widely assumed that improvements in nocturnal vision would depend on maximization of photon capture at the expense of image detail. Here, we show that retinal optical quality improves 2-fold during terminal development, and that this enhancement is caused by nuclear inversion. We further demonstrate that improved retinal contrast transmission, rather than photon-budget or resolution, enhances scotopic contrast sensitivity by 18–27%, and improves motion detection capabilities up to 10-fold in dim environments. Our findings therefore add functional significance to a prominent exception of nuclear organization and establish retinal contrast transmission as a decisive determinant of mammalian visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushikaram Subramanian
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Weigert
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Borsch
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Heike Petzold
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Eugene W Myers
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Irina Solovei
- Biozentrum, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München, Germany
| | - Moritz Kreysing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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28
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Pavan A, Ghin F, Contillo A, Milesi C, Campana G, Mather G. Modulatory mechanisms underlying high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS): A combined stochastic resonance and equivalent noise approach. Brain Stimul 2019; 12:967-977. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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29
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Pugh EN. The mechanism of photon-like dark noise in rod photoreceptors. J Gen Physiol 2019; 151:875-877. [PMID: 31171571 PMCID: PMC6605688 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201912376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pugh highlights recent work ruling out a role for ultraweak photon emission in spontaneous photon-like events in retinal rods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward N Pugh
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
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30
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Cerveira AM, Jackson RR, Nelson XJ. Dim-light vision in jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae): identification of prey and rivals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.198069. [PMID: 31019068 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.198069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are known for their intricate vision-based behavior during encounters with prey and conspecific individuals. This is achieved using eyes specialized for discerning fine detail, but there has been minimal research on the capacity that salticids might have for visual performance under low ambient light levels. Here, we investigated the capacity of two salticid species, Cyrba algerina from Portugal and Cyrba ocellata from Kenya, to perform two specific visual tasks under low ambient light levels. We used lures made from spiders and midges in prey-identification experiments and mirror images (virtual conspecifics) in rival-identification experiments. These experiments were implemented under a range of ambient light levels (234, 1.35, 0.54, 0.24 cd m-2). In most instances, C algerina and C ocellata were proficient at performing both of these visual tasks when ambient light was 234 and 1.35 cd m-2, and a minority performed these tasks at 0.54 cd m-2, but none succeeded when the light level was 0.24 cd m-2 Cyrba algerina and C. ocellata showed vision-based discrimination under low ambient light levels previously associated with nocturnal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Cerveira
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Robert R Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.,International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Thomas Odhiambo Campus, PO Box 30, Mbita Point, Kenya
| | - Ximena J Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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31
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Roy S, Field GD. Dopaminergic modulation of retinal processing from starlight to sunlight. J Pharmacol Sci 2019; 140:86-93. [PMID: 31109761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators such as dopamine, enable context-dependent plasticity of neural circuit function throughout the central nervous system. For example, in the retina, dopamine tunes visual processing for daylight and nightlight conditions. Specifically, high levels of dopamine release in the retina tune vision for daylight (photopic) conditions, while low levels tune it for nightlight (scotopic) conditions. This review covers the cellular and circuit-level mechanisms within the retina that are altered by dopamine. These mechanisms include changes in gap junction coupling and ionic conductances, both of which are altered by the activation of diverse types of dopamine receptors across diverse types of retinal neurons. We contextualize the modulatory actions of dopamine in terms of alterations and optimizations to visual processing under photopic and scotopic conditions, with particular attention to how they differentially impact distinct cell types. Finally, we discuss how transgenic mice and disease models have shaped our understanding of dopaminergic signaling and its role in visual processing. Cumulatively, this review illustrates some of the diverse and potent mechanisms through which neuromodulation can shape brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suva Roy
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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32
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Thibos LN, Bradley A, Xu R, Lopez-Gil N. Ricco's law and absolute threshold for foveal detection of black holes. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2019; 36:B35-B43. [PMID: 31044953 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.36.000b35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Visual detection of small black objects surrounded by a light background depends on background luminance, pupil size, optical blur, and object size. Holding pupil and optics fixed, we measured the minimum background luminance needed for foveal detection of small black targets as a function of target size. For all three observers, absolute threshold varied inversely with target area when disk diameter subtended less than 10' of visual angle. For target diameter ≥10', threshold remained constant at about 0.3 Td, which was also the absolute threshold for detecting light spots 10' or larger in diameter on a black background. These results are consistent with Ricco's law of spatial summation: a "black hole" is just detectable when the background luminance is sufficiently high for its absence inside the Ricco area to reduce 555 nm photon flux by 7500 photons/s, which is the same change needed to detect light spots on a black surround. These results can be accounted for by a differential pair of Ricco detectors, each about the size of the receptive field center of magocellular retinal ganglion cells when projected into object space through the eye's weakly aberrated optical system. Statistical analysis of the model suggests the quantum fluctuations due to internal, biological noise (i.e., "scotons") are a greater handicap than the photon fluctuations inherent in the light stimulus at absolute foveal threshold.
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33
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Kling A, Field GD, Brainard DH, Chichilnisky EJ. Probing Computation in the Primate Visual System at Single-Cone Resolution. Annu Rev Neurosci 2019; 42:169-186. [PMID: 30857477 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-070918-050233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Daylight vision begins when light activates cone photoreceptors in the retina, creating spatial patterns of neural activity. These cone signals are then combined and processed in downstream neural circuits, ultimately producing visual perception. Recent technical advances have made it possible to deliver visual stimuli to the retina that probe this processing by the visual system at its elementary resolution of individual cones. Physiological recordings from nonhuman primate retinas reveal the spatial organization of cone signals in retinal ganglion cells, including how signals from cones of different types are combined to support both spatial and color vision. Psychophysical experiments with human subjects characterize the visual sensations evoked by stimulating a single cone, including the perception of color. Future combined physiological and psychophysical experiments focusing on probing the elementary visual inputs are likely to clarify how neural processing generates our perception of the visual world.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kling
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
| | - G D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - D H Brainard
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - E J Chichilnisky
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
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Tocco C, Dacke M, Byrne M. Eye and wing structure closely reflects the visual ecology of dung beetles. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:211-221. [PMID: 30830308 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01324-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
An important resource partitioning strategy allowing dung beetles to coexist in the same habitat, while utilising the same food, is species' separation of activity times. After establishing the diel activity period of three closely related, co-occurring dung beetles, we examined their eye and wing morphology. Absolute and relative eye size, and facet size were greater in the nocturnal Escarabaeus satyrus, followed by the crepuscular Scarabaeus zambesianus and then the diurnal Kheper lamarcki. The diurnal K. lamarcki had the highest wing aspect ratio (long, narrow wings), followed by the crepuscular S. zambesianus and the nocturnal E. satyrus (short, broad wings), suggesting that dim-light active species fly slower than diurnal species. In addition, the two species active in dim light had a lower wing loading than the diurnal species, indicating the need for greater manoeuvrability in the dark. Analyses of wing shape revealed that the diurnal K. lamarcki wing had a proportionally larger jugal and anal region than both dim light species. Our results show that different species of dung beetles have a combination of optical and morphological wing adaptations to support their foraging activities in diverse light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tocco
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
| | - Marie Dacke
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.,Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marcus Byrne
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
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Ebitz RB, Moore T. Both a Gauge and a Filter: Cognitive Modulations of Pupil Size. Front Neurol 2019; 9:1190. [PMID: 30723454 PMCID: PMC6350273 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 50 years of research have established that cognitive processes influence pupil size. This has led to the widespread use of pupil size as a peripheral measure of cortical processing in psychology and neuroscience. However, the function of cortical control over the pupil remains poorly understood. Why does visual attention change the pupil light reflex? Why do mental effort and surprise cause pupil dilation? Here, we consider these functional questions as we review and synthesize two literatures on cognitive effects on the pupil: how cognition affects pupil light response and how cognition affects pupil size under constant luminance. We propose that cognition may have co-opted control of the pupil in order to filter incoming visual information to optimize it for particular goals. This could complement other cortical mechanisms through which cognition shapes visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Becket Ebitz
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
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36
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Field GD, Uzzell V, Chichilnisky EJ, Rieke F. Temporal resolution of single-photon responses in primate rod photoreceptors and limits imposed by cellular noise. J Neurophysiol 2018; 121:255-268. [PMID: 30485153 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00683.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory receptor noise corrupts sensory signals, contributing to imperfect perception and dictating central processing strategies. For example, noise in rod phototransduction limits our ability to detect light, and minimizing the impact of this noise requires precisely tuned nonlinear processing by the retina. But detection sensitivity is only one aspect of night vision: prompt and accurate behavior also requires that rods reliably encode the timing of photon arrivals. We show here that the temporal resolution of responses of primate rods is much finer than the duration of the light response and identify the key limiting sources of transduction noise. We also find that the thermal activation rate of rhodopsin is lower than previous estimates, implying that other noise sources are more important than previously appreciated. A model of rod single-photon responses reveals that the limiting noise relevant for behavior depends critically on how rod signals are pooled by downstream neurons. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Many studies have focused on the visual system's ability to detect photons, but not on its ability to encode the relative timing of detected photons. Timing is essential for computations such as determining the velocity of moving objects. Here we examine the timing precision of primate rod photoreceptor responses and show that it is more precise than previously appreciated. This motivates an evaluation of whether scotopic vision approaches limits imposed by rod temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, North Carolina
| | - Valerie Uzzell
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies , La Jolla, California
| | - E J Chichilnisky
- Stanford University, Departments of Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology , Stanford, California
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
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Celano L, Sullivan C, Field A, Salmon M. Seafinding revisited: how hatchling marine turtles respond to natural lighting at a nesting beach. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:1007-1015. [PMID: 30367271 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hatchling marine turtles emerge at night from underground nests on oceanic beaches and then use visual cues to crawl from the nest site to the sea ("seafinding"). However, the light wavelengths (λ's) used to accomplish this orientation have not been thoroughly documented, nor do we understand why some λ's are favored over others. We measured nocturnal radiance on the horizon at 20 nm intervals between 340 and 600 nm at two nesting beach sites and then, under laboratory conditions, determined the lowest intensities of those λ's that induced green turtle and loggerhead hatchlings to crawl toward each light source (a low positive "phototaxis threshold"). Both species were similarly sensitive and were attracted to all λ's. Radiance measures at all λ's were greater toward the seaward horizon than toward the landward horizon, providing an important orientation cue regardless of variation in lunar illumination. Previous studies document that both species detect λ's longer than those that are most attractive. We hypothesize that seafinding is a specialized response mediated by cones that are sensitive to the shorter λ's (to minimize the effects of dark noise) but such as rods, are especially sensitive to low levels of nocturnal illumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Celano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, USA
| | - Caroline Sullivan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, USA
| | - Angela Field
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, USA
| | - Michael Salmon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, USA.
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38
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Garcia JE, Shrestha M, Dyer AG. Flower signal variability overwhelms receptor-noise and requires plastic color learning in bees. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- APIS Lab, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
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39
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Ghin F, Pavan A, Contillo A, Mather G. The effects of high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) on global motion processing: An equivalent noise approach. Brain Stimul 2018; 11:1263-1275. [PMID: 30078542 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2018.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) facilitates performance in several perceptual and cognitive tasks, however, little is known about the underlying modulatory mechanisms. OBJECTIVE In this study we compared the effects of hf-tRNS to those of anodal and cathodal tDCS in a global motion direction discrimination task. An equivalent noise (EN) paradigm was used to assess how hf-tRNS modulates the mechanisms underlying local and global motion processing. METHOD Motion coherence threshold and slope of the psychometric function were estimated using an 8AFC task in which observers had to discriminate the motion direction of a random dot kinematogram presented either in the left or right visual hemi-field. During the task hf-tRNS, anodal and cathodal tDCS were delivered over the left hMT+. In a subsequent experiment we implemented an EN paradigm in order to investigate the effects of hf-tRNS on the mechanisms involved in visual motion integration (i.e., internal noise and sampling). RESULTS hf-tRNS reduced the motion coherence threshold but did not affect the slope of the psychometric function, suggesting no modulation of stimulus discriminability. Anodal and cathodal tDCS did not produce any modulatory effects. EN analysis in the last experiment found that hf-tRNS modulates sampling but not internal noise, suggesting that hf-tRNS modulates the integration of local motion cues. CONCLUSION hf-tRNS interacts with the output neurons tuned to directions near to the directional signal, incrementing the signal-to-noise ratio and the pooling of local motion cues and thus increasing the sensitivity for global moving stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Ghin
- University of Lincoln, School of Psychology, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln LN5 7AY, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea Pavan
- University of Lincoln, School of Psychology, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln LN5 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Adriano Contillo
- University of Ferrara, Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Via Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
| | - George Mather
- University of Lincoln, School of Psychology, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln LN5 7AY, United Kingdom
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40
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O'Carroll DC, Warrant EJ. Vision in dim light: highlights and challenges. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0062. [PMID: 28193807 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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41
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Hathibelagal AR, Feigl B, Zele AJ. Correlated cone noise decreases rod signal contributions to the post-receptoral pathways. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2018; 35:B78-B84. [PMID: 29603926 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.35.000b78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated how invisible extrinsic temporal white noise that correlates with the activity of one of the three [magnocellular (MC), parvocellular (PC), or koniocellular (KC)] post-receptoral pathways alters mesopic rod signaling. A four-primary photostimulator provided independent control of the rod and three cone photoreceptor excitations. The rod contributions to the three post-receptoral pathways were estimated by perceptually matching a 20% contrast rod pulse by independently varying the LMS (MC pathway), +L-M (PC pathway), and S-cone (KC pathway) excitations. We show that extrinsic cone noise caused a predominant decrease in the overall magnitude and ratio of the rod contributions to each pathway. Thus, the relative cone activity in the post-receptoral pathways determines the relative mesopic rod inputs to each pathway.
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Abstract
A retrospective on the scientific importance and impact of Hecht, Shlaer, and Pirenne’s classic 1942 paper, “Energy, Quanta, and Vision.” Vertebrate rod photoreceptors evolved the astonishing ability to respond reliably to single photons. In parallel, the proximate neurons of the visual system evolved the ability to reliably encode information from a few single-photon responses (SPRs) as arising from the presence of an object of interest in the visual environment. These amazing capabilities were first inferred from measurements of human visual threshold by Hecht et al. (1942), whose paper has since been cited over 1,000 times. Subsequent research, in part inspired by Hecht et al.’s discovery, has directly measured rod SPRs, characterized the molecular mechanism responsible for their generation, and uncovered much about the specializations in the retina that enable the reliable transmission of SPRs in the teeth of intrinsic neuronal noise.
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43
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Silvestre D, Arleo A, Allard R. Internal noise sources limiting contrast sensitivity. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2596. [PMID: 29416068 PMCID: PMC5803200 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20619-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrast sensitivity varies substantially as a function of spatial frequency and luminance intensity. The variation as a function of luminance intensity is well known and characterized by three laws that can be attributed to the impact of three internal noise sources: early spontaneous neural activity limiting contrast sensitivity at low luminance intensities (i.e. early noise responsible for the linear law), probabilistic photon absorption at intermediate luminance intensities (i.e. photon noise responsible for de Vries-Rose law) and late spontaneous neural activity at high luminance intensities (i.e. late noise responsible for Weber’s law). The aim of this study was to characterize how the impact of these three internal noise sources vary with spatial frequency and determine which one is limiting contrast sensitivity as a function of luminance intensity and spatial frequency. To estimate the impact of the different internal noise sources, the current study used an external noise paradigm to factorize contrast sensitivity into equivalent input noise and calculation efficiency over a wide range of luminance intensities and spatial frequencies. The impact of early and late noise was found to drop linearly with spatial frequency, whereas the impact of photon noise rose with spatial frequency due to ocular factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphné Silvestre
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Angelo Arleo
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Rémy Allard
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012, Paris, France.
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44
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Abstract
It is well known that a given physical input (e.g. intensity of light or sound, length or weight of an object) does not always give rise to the same sensation. For example, arrow heads affect the perceived length of lines (Muller-Lyer illusion) and size affects the apparent weight of an object (size-weight illusion). It is generally assumed that the differential threshold is a simple function of the physical intensity of the stimulus. We may however ask whether the differential threshold is affected by illusions. To try to answer this question we estimate differential thresholds under a pair of conditions in which the relevant input is the same but appears different. Using the size-weight illusion, we have found that the differential threshold for weight is greater for a set of small weights than for a set of larger and apparently lighter weights.
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45
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Treisman M, Howarth CI. Changes in Threshold Level Produced by a Signal Preceding or following the Threshold Stimulus. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/17470215908416302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In a previous experiment (Howarth and Treisman, 1958) it was shown that when a warning preceded a stimulus by a fixed interval, the threshold level for the stimulus was higher the longer the fixed interval. A model of this effect was proposed, assuming that the threshold criterion adopted by the subject at any moment was modified by his estimate of the probability of a stimulus at that moment. Three predictions are derived and tested. It is found that: the standard deviation of the response is constant despite the shifts in threshold induced; the threshold continues to fall as the interval from warning to stimulus is decreased to zero, with the lowest threshold when the warning signal and the stimulus are simultaneous; and that a warning signal following the stimulus by an interval of less than 0 5 to 1 sec. also lowers the threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Treisman
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
| | - C. I. Howarth
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
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46
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Park WJ, Schauder KB, Zhang R, Bennetto L, Tadin D. High internal noise and poor external noise filtering characterize perception in autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17584. [PMID: 29242499 PMCID: PMC5730555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17676-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
An emerging hypothesis postulates that internal noise is a key factor influencing perceptual abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given fundamental and inescapable effects of noise on nearly all aspects of neural processing, this could be a critical abnormality with broad implications for perception, behavior, and cognition. However, this proposal has been challenged by both theoretical and empirical studies. A crucial question is whether and how internal noise limits perception in ASD, independently from other sources of perceptual inefficiency, such as the ability to filter out external noise. Here, we separately estimated internal noise and external noise filtering in ASD. In children and adolescents with and without ASD, we computationally modeled individuals' visual orientation discrimination in the presence of varying levels of external noise. The results revealed increased internal noise and worse external noise filtering in individuals with ASD. For both factors, we also observed high inter-individual variability in ASD, with only the internal noise estimates significantly correlating with severity of ASD symptoms. We provide evidence for reduced perceptual efficiency in ASD that is due to both increased internal noise and worse external noise filtering, while highlighting internal noise as a possible contributing factor to variability in ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woon Ju Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
| | - Kimberly B Schauder
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Ruyuan Zhang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Loisa Bennetto
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Duje Tadin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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47
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Individual differences in internal noise are consistent across two measurement techniques. Vision Res 2017; 141:30-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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48
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Field GD, Sampath AP. Behavioural and physiological limits to vision in mammals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0072. [PMID: 28193817 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human vision is exquisitely sensitive-a dark-adapted observer is capable of reliably detecting the absorption of a few quanta of light. Such sensitivity requires that the sensory receptors of the retina, rod photoreceptors, generate a reliable signal when single photons are absorbed. In addition, the retina must be able to extract this information and relay it to higher visual centres under conditions where very few rods signal single-photon responses while the majority generate only noise. Critical to signal transmission are mechanistic optimizations within rods and their dedicated retinal circuits that enhance the discriminability of single-photon responses by mitigating photoreceptor and synaptic noise. We describe behavioural experiments over the past century that have led to the appreciation of high sensitivity near absolute visual threshold. We further consider mechanisms within rod photoreceptors and dedicated rod circuits that act to extract single-photon responses from cellular noise. We highlight how these studies have shaped our understanding of brain function and point out several unresolved questions in the processing of light near the visual threshold.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alapakkam P Sampath
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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49
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Takeshita D, Smeds L, Ala-Laurila P. Processing of single-photon responses in the mammalian On and Off retinal pathways at the sensitivity limit of vision. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0073. [PMID: 28193818 PMCID: PMC5312023 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visually guided behaviour at its sensitivity limit relies on single-photon responses originating in a small number of rod photoreceptors. For decades, researchers have debated the neural mechanisms and noise sources that underlie this striking sensitivity. To address this question, we need to understand the constraints arising from the retinal output signals provided by distinct retinal ganglion cell types. It has recently been shown in the primate retina that On and Off parasol ganglion cells, the cell types likely to underlie light detection at the absolute visual threshold, differ fundamentally not only in response polarity, but also in the way they handle single-photon responses originating in rods. The On pathway provides the brain with a thresholded, low-noise readout and the Off pathway with a noisy, linear readout. We outline the mechanistic basis of these different coding strategies and analyse their implications for detecting the weakest light signals. We show that high-fidelity, nonlinear signal processing in the On pathway comes with costs: more single-photon responses are lost and their propagation is delayed compared with the Off pathway. On the other hand, the responses of On ganglion cells allow better intensity discrimination compared with the Off ganglion cell responses near visual threshold. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in dim light’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takeshita
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lina Smeds
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Ala-Laurila
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland .,Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, PO Box 12200, 00076 Aalto, Finland
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50
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Warrant EJ. The remarkable visual capacities of nocturnal insects: vision at the limits with small eyes and tiny brains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0063. [PMID: 28193808 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nocturnal insects have evolved remarkable visual capacities, despite small eyes and tiny brains. They can see colour, control flight and land, react to faint movements in their environment, navigate using dim celestial cues and find their way home after a long and tortuous foraging trip using learned visual landmarks. These impressive visual abilities occur at light levels when only a trickle of photons are being absorbed by each photoreceptor, begging the question of how the visual system nonetheless generates the reliable signals needed to steer behaviour. In this review, I attempt to provide an answer to this question. Part of the answer lies in their compound eyes, which maximize light capture. Part lies in the slow responses and high gains of their photoreceptors, which improve the reliability of visual signals. And a very large part lies in the spatial and temporal summation of these signals in the optic lobe, a strategy that substantially enhances contrast sensitivity in dim light and allows nocturnal insects to see a brighter world, albeit a slower and coarser one. What is abundantly clear, however, is that during their evolution insects have overcome several serious potential visual limitations, endowing them with truly extraordinary night vision.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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