Spatial Frequency Dependent Deficits in Anisometropic Amblyopia

视觉编码的两个主要特征--空间频率和对比度知觉--在 弱视的神经生理和行为测量。越来越多的证据表明， 抑制可以驱动弱视缺陷，这导致了不同的增益控制模型的就业， 解释异常的双眼互动弱视。对比感知的心理物理测量是 通常用于验证这些模型;然而，单个增益控制模型在 解释了弱视的表现。这个为期5年的指导培训奖旨在通过使用 新的神经影像学和视觉心理物理学，以调查是否空间频率和对比度缺陷， 屈光参差性弱视确实继发于眼间抑制。研究的每一个目标都对应于 具体的培训目标，这将映射到四个主要领域的能力：（1）功能磁共振成像实验设计和 基于模型的分析;（2）神经成像和心理物理数据的计算建模;（3）临床 研究设计结合使用功能磁共振成像，心理物理学，并在临床计算建模 人口;（4）职业发展。这种培训将使申请人成为一个独立的 翻译临床科学家，可以利用神经成像和心理物理学来检查潜在的 儿童视力障碍的缺陷。培训将在波士顿著名的环境中进行 波士顿大学儿童医院和哈佛医学院，Sam Ling博士的专家指导 （主要导师）、大卫·亨特博士（共同导师）和MiYoung博士（顾问）。具体而言，导师团队将 培训申请人设计，实施和分析人口空间频率调谐的措施， 屈光参差性弱视患者的对比度反应。这项工作将增进我们对 弱视眼间抑制和空间频率及对比度依赖性缺陷我们的数据将指导和 弱视中双眼相互作用的约束模型。此外，这种额外的神经表征 弱视视觉系统对不平衡的两视刺激的反应将解释疗效的变异性 替代疗法，并确定专门针对空间频率缺陷的新疗法， 弱视眼的对比度编码。通过这种培训，候选人将获得相当多的指导， 培训先进的神经成像技术，以量化弱视患者的双眼视功能， 基金会建立作为一个独立的临床科学家的职业生涯。

Two primary features of visual coding—spatial frequency and contrast perception—are abnormal in neurophysiological and behavioral measures of amblyopia. Mounting evidence indicates that interocular inhibition may drive amblyopic deficits, and this has led to the employment of varying gain control models to explain abnormal binocular interaction amblyopia. Psychophysical measures of contrast perception are commonly used to validate these models; however, a single gain control model has been unsuccessful in explaining amblyopic performance. This 5-year mentored training award seeks to address this problem by using novel neuroimaging and visual psychophysics to investigate whether spatial frequency and contrast deficits in anisometropic amblyopia are indeed secondary to interocular inhibition. Each aim of the study corresponds to specific training goals, which will map to competency in four main areas: (1) fMRI experimental design and model-based analyses; (2) computational modeling of both neuroimaging and psychophysical data; (3) clinical research design incorporating the use of fMRI, psychophysics, and computational modeling in clinical populations; and (4) career development. Such training will transform the applicant into an independent translational clinical scientist who can utilize both neuroimaging and psychophysics to examine underlying deficits in pediatric vision disorders. Training will be implemented at the reputable environments of Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, and Harvard Medical School with the expert guidance of Dr. Sam Ling (primary mentor), Dr. David Hunter (co-mentor), and Dr. MiYoung (advisor). Specifically, the mentor team will train the applicant to design, implement, and analyze measures of population spatial frequency tuning and contrast response in participants with anisometropic amblyopia. This work will enhance our understanding of interocular inhibition and spatial frequency and contrast-dependent deficits in amblyopia. Our data will guide and constrain models of binocular interaction in amblyopia. Furthermore, this additional neural characterization of the response of the amblyopic visual system to unbalanced dichoptic stimuli will explain variability in the efficacy of alternative therapies and identify new treatments that specifically target deficits in spatial frequency and contrast coding of the amblyopic eye. Through this training, the candidate will gain considerable mentorship and training in advanced neuroimaging techniques to quantify binocular visual function in amblyopia, providing a foundation to build a career as an independent clinician-scientist.