Mesopic vision, a combination of rod and cone vision in modest but not low lighting situations, is a fundamental but challenging research area. It is fundamental because the interactions between rod and cone signals alter several aspects of visual function, such as color vision and temporal vision. It is challenging because traditional methodology has failed to yield a clear understanding of its complex role in human vision. The proposed research will use a novel four-primary photostimulator that independently controls rod and cone excitations. The study will combine psychophysical and physiological methodologies to investigate the neural mechanisms that mediate mesopic vision. Psychophysical experiments will be conducted to assess rod-cone interactions in color vision and temporal vision at mesopic light levels. Physiological experiments will be conducted to measure rod and cone inputs to ganglion cells in primates under mesopic illuminations. The goal is to determine retinal pathways that contribute to mesopic vision. The outcome of this work can provide a framework for developing new methods for early detection and monitoring of retinal eye diseases that cause blindness, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, rod-cone dystrophies and retinitis pigmentosa.

Public Health Relevance

At mesopic light levels, both rod and cone photoreceptors are active. This proposed research will use a novel technology to independently control rod and cone stimulations to investigate how signals arising from rods and cones interact to alter vision. From this, we will better understand the neural mechanisms mediating rod-cone interactions in mesopic vision, which could lead to developing new technologies to improve disease management through early detection and monitoring of retinal eye diseases that lead to blindness, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, rod-cone dystrophies and retinitis pigmentosa.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01EY019651-03
Application #
8399786
Study Section
Biology and Diseases of the Posterior Eye Study Section (BDPE)
Program Officer
Neuhold, Lisa
Project Start
2010-04-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2012-02-01
Budget End
2012-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$262,867
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
098987217
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60612
Park, Jason C; Cao, Dingcai; Collison, Frederick T et al. (2015) Rod and cone contributions to the dark-adapted 15-Hz flicker electroretinogram. Doc Ophthalmol 130:111-9
Cao, Dingcai; Barrionuevo, Pablo A (2015) Estimating photoreceptor excitations from spectral outputs of a personal light exposure measurement device. Chronobiol Int 32:270-80
Joyce, Daniel S; Feigl, Beatrix; Cao, Dingcai et al. (2015) Temporal characteristics of melanopsin inputs to the human pupil light reflex. Vision Res 107:58-66
Barrionuevo, Pablo A; Cao, Dingcai (2014) Contributions of rhodopsin, cone opsins, and melanopsin to postreceptoral pathways inferred from natural image statistics. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis 31:A131-9
Cao, Dingcai (2014) S-cone discrimination in the presence of two adapting fields: data and model. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis 31:A65-74
Barrionuevo, Pablo A; Nicandro, Nathaniel; McAnany, J Jason et al. (2014) Assessing rod, cone, and melanopsin contributions to human pupil flicker responses. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 55:719-27
Ennis, Robert; Cao, Dingcai; Lee, Barry B et al. (2014) Eye movements and the neural basis of context effects on visual sensitivity. J Neurosci 34:8119-29
Zele, Andrew J; Maynard, Michelle L; Joyce, Daniel S et al. (2014) Effect of rod-cone interactions on mesopic visual performance mediated by chromatic and luminance pathways. J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis 31:A7-A14
Elliott, Sarah L; Cao, Dingcai (2013) Scotopic hue percepts in natural scenes. J Vis 13:15
Zhuang, Xiaohua; Cao, Dingcai (2013) Contrast magnitude and polarity effects on color filling-in along cardinal color axes. J Vis 13:19

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