Rod Cone Interactions in Mesopic Vision

描述（由申请人提供）：中间视觉，在适度但不是低照明情况下的视杆和视锥视觉的组合，是一个基本但具有挑战性的研究领域。它是基本的，因为杆和锥信号之间的相互作用改变视觉功能的几个方面，如色觉和时间视觉。它具有挑战性，因为传统的方法未能清楚地了解其在人类视觉中的复杂作用。拟议的研究将使用一种新型的四原色光刺激器，独立控制杆和锥兴奋。本研究将结合联合收割机心理物理学和生理学的方法来研究介导中间视觉的神经机制。将进行心理物理学实验以评估中间视觉光水平下的色觉和时间视觉中的视杆-视锥相互作用。将进行生理实验，以测量中间视觉照明下灵长类动物神经节细胞的视杆细胞和视锥细胞输入。目的是确定视网膜通路，有助于中间视觉。这项工作的成果可以为开发早期检测和监测导致失明的视网膜眼病的新方法提供框架，这些疾病包括年龄相关性黄斑变性、糖尿病视网膜病变、视杆-视锥营养不良和色素性视网膜炎。 公共卫生相关性：在中间视觉光水平下，视杆细胞和视锥细胞都是活跃的。这项拟议中的研究将使用一种新技术来独立控制视杆细胞和视锥细胞的刺激，以研究视杆细胞和视锥细胞产生的信号如何相互作用来改变视觉。由此，我们将更好地了解介导中间视觉中的视杆-视锥相互作用的神经机制，这可能导致开发新技术，通过早期检测和监测导致失明的视网膜眼病，包括年龄相关性黄斑变性，糖尿病视网膜病变，视杆-视锥营养不良和视网膜色素变性来改善疾病管理。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 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.