ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the composition of the inner nuclear layer (INL) in the central and peripheral human retina as foundation data for interpreting INL function and dysfunction. Methods: Six postmortem human donor retinas (male and female, aged 31-56 years) were sectioned along the temporal horizontal meridian. Sections were processed with immunofluorescent markers and imaged using high-resolution, multichannel fluorescence microscopy. The density of horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, and Müller cells was quantified between 1 and 12 mm eccentricity with appropriate adjustments for postreceptoral spatial displacements near the fovea. Results: Cone bipolar cells dominate the INL a with density near 50,000 cells/mm2 at 1 mm eccentricity and integrated total â¼10 million cells up to 10 mm eccentricity. Outside central retina the spatial density of all cell populations falls but the neuronal makeup of the INL remains relatively constant: a decrease in the proportion of cone bipolar cells (from 52% at 1 mm to 37% at 10 mm) is balanced by an increasing proportion of rod bipolar cells (from 9% to 15%). The proportion of Müller cells near the fovea (17%) is lower than in the peripheral retina (27%). Conclusions: Despite large changes in the absolute density of INL cell populations across the retina, their proportions remain relatively constant. These data may have relevance for interpreting diagnostic signals such as the electroretinogram and optical coherence tomogram.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retinal Bipolar Cells/cytology , Adult , Cell Count , Female , Humans , Male , Microscopy, Fluorescence , Middle Aged , Tissue DonorsABSTRACT
Purpose: The cellular topography of the human foveola, the central 1° diameter of the fovea, is strikingly non-uniform, with a steep increase of cone photoreceptor density and outer segment (OS) length toward its center. Here, we assessed to what extent the specific cellular organization of the foveola of an individual is reflected in visual sensitivity and if sensitivity peaks at the preferred retinal locus of fixation (PRL). Methods: Increment sensitivity to small-spot, cone-targeted visual stimuli (1 × 1 arcmin, 543-nm light) was recorded psychophysically in four human participants at 17 locations concentric within a 0.2° diameter on and around the PRL with adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy-based microstimulation. Sensitivity test spots were aligned with cell-resolved maps of cone density and cone OS length. Results: Peak sensitivity was at neither the PRL nor the topographical center of the cone mosaic. Within the central 0.1° diameter, a plateau-like sensitivity profile was observed. Cone density and maximal OS length differed significantly across participants, correlating with their peak sensitivity. Based on these results, biophysical simulation allowed to develop a model of visual sensitivity in the foveola, with distance from the PRL (eccentricity), cone density, and OS length as parameters. Conclusions: Small-spot sensitivity thresholds in healthy retinas will help to establish the range of normal foveolar function in cell-targeted vision testing. Because of the high reproducibility in replicate testing, threshold variability not explained by our model is assumed to be caused by individual cone and bipolar cell weighting at the specific target locations.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Rod Cell Outer Segment/physiology , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Visual Acuity , Adult , Cell Count , Female , Fovea Centralis/physiology , Humans , Male , Ophthalmoscopy/methods , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytologyABSTRACT
Purpose: To test the hypothesis that foveal cone topography is symmetrical between contralateral eyes. Methods: We used adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy to acquire images of the foveal cone mosaic in each eye of 58 subjects with normal vision (35 female, 23 male). Cones were semiautomatically identified over a 300 × 300-µm foveal area. From these cone coordinates, maps of cone density were derived, and we extracted estimates of peak cone density from each map. Mosaic regularity was assessed using Voronoi cell area regularity (VCAR). Average roundness and average area of the 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90% of peak density isodensity contours were evaluated. Results: The average peak cone density for right eyes was 180,286 cones/mm2 (n = 49) and for left eyes was 182,397 cones/mm2 (n = 45), with a mean absolute difference of 6363 cones/mm2 (n = 43). Peak density, cone spacing, VCAR, and average area within the isodensity contours of fellow eyes were not significantly different (P = 0.60, P = 0.83, P = 0.30, and P = 0.39, respectively). However, the average roundness of the isodensity contours was 2% more circular in the right eyes than in the left eyes (P = 0.02). Conclusions: There is interocular symmetry of peak foveal cone density, mosaic regularity, and area encompassing the most densely packed cells in subjects with normal vision. The origin and significance of the observed interocular difference in average roundness of the isodensity contours are unclear.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/anatomy & histology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cell Count , Child , Female , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoscopy , Young AdultABSTRACT
Müller cells (MC) represent a key element for the metabolic and functional regulation of the vertebrate retina. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility of a new method for the in-vivo detection and quantification of extrafoveal MC in human retina. We developed a new approach to isolate and analyse extrafoveal MC in vivo, starting from structural optical coherence tomography data. Our pilot investigation was based on the optical properties of MC, which are known to not interfere with the light reaching the outer retinal structures. We reconstructed MC in the macular region of 18 healthy subjects and the quantitative analyses revealed ~42,000/9 mm2 cells detected. Furthermore, we included 2 patients affected by peripheral intraocular melanoma, with macular sparing, needing surgical enucleation. We used these two eyes to perform a qualitative comparison between our reconstructions and histological findings. Our study represents the first pilot investigation dedicated on the non-invasive isolation and quantification of MC, in-vivo, in human retina. Although we are aware that our study has several limitations, first of all related with the proper detection of foveal MC, because of the peculiar z-shape morphology, this approach may open new opportunities for the non-invasive in vivo analysis of MC, providing also potential useful perspectives in retinal diseases.
Subject(s)
Ependymoglial Cells/cytology , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retina/cytology , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Adult , Cell Count , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Fluorescein Angiography/methods , Fundus Oculi , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
We have used recent measurements of mammalian cone light responses and voltage-gated currents to calculate cone ATP utilization and compare it to that of rods. The largest expenditure of ATP results from ion transport, particularly from removal of Na+ entering outer segment light-dependent channels and inner segment hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, and from ATP-dependent pumping of Ca2+ entering voltage-gated channels at the synaptic terminal. Single cones expend nearly twice as much energy as single rods in darkness, largely because they make more synapses with second-order retinal cells and thus must extrude more Ca2+ In daylight, cone ATP utilization per cell remains high because cones never remain saturated and must continue to export Na+ and synaptic Ca2+ even in bright illumination. In mouse and human retina, rods greatly outnumber cones and consume more energy overall even in background light. In primates, however, the high density of cones in the fovea produces a pronounced peak of ATP utilization, which becomes particularly prominent in daylight and may make this part of the retina especially sensitive to changes in energy availability.
Subject(s)
Retina/metabolism , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism , Animals , Calcium/metabolism , Cyclic GMP/metabolism , Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels/metabolism , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/metabolism , Humans , Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels/metabolism , Ion Channel Gating , Light , Mice , Presynaptic Terminals/metabolism , Retina/cytology , Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells/metabolism , Sodium/metabolismABSTRACT
Most irreversible blindness results from retinal disease. To advance our understanding of the etiology of blinding diseases, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the transcriptomes of ~85,000 cells from the fovea and peripheral retina of seven adult human donors. Utilizing computational methods, we identified 58 cell types within 6 classes: photoreceptor, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, retinal ganglion and non-neuronal cells. Nearly all types are shared between the two retinal regions, but there are notable differences in gene expression and proportions between foveal and peripheral cohorts of shared types. We then used the human retinal atlas to map expression of 636 genes implicated as causes of or risk factors for blinding diseases. Many are expressed in striking cell class-, type-, or region-specific patterns. Finally, we compared gene expression signatures of cell types between human and the cynomolgus macaque monkey, Macaca fascicularis. We show that over 90% of human types correspond transcriptomically to those previously identified in macaque, and that expression of disease-related genes is largely conserved between the two species. These results validate the use of the macaque for modeling blinding disease, and provide a foundation for investigating molecular mechanisms underlying visual processing.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retina/cytology , Animals , Atlases as Topic , Blindness/genetics , Humans , Macaca fascicularis , RNA-Seq , Species Specificity , TranscriptomeABSTRACT
Purpose: The exact cellular types that form the human fovea remain a subject of debate, and few studies have been conducted on human macula to solve this question. The purpose of this study was to perform immunohistochemistry on fresh human samples to characterize the glial cells that form the human fovea. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against proteins expressed in astrocytes or in retinal Müller glial cells or both types of cells on six human macula obtained from eyes enucleated for peripheral intraocular tumors and on two postmortem eyes from healthy donors. The posterior poles of the enucleated eyes were cryosectioned and stained with antibodies against the glial proteins GFAP, vimentin, CRALBP, glutamine synthetase, and connexin 43. Results: A population of cells positive for GFAP and negative for glutamine synthetase and CRALBP that express connexin 43 were identified at the roof of the foveal pit. These cells are distinct from the Müller cone cells described by Yamada and Gass, suggesting that another type of foveal glial cells, most likely astrocytes, are present in the human fovea. Conclusions: This study showed that in humans, astrocytic glial cells cover the foveal pit. Their roles in macula homeostasis and mechanisms of macular diseases disease remain to be determined.
Subject(s)
Astrocytes/metabolism , Ependymoglial Cells/metabolism , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/metabolism , Neuroglia/metabolism , Aged , Astrocytes/cytology , Carrier Proteins/metabolism , Connexin 43/metabolism , Female , Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/metabolism , Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase/metabolism , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Macula Lutea/metabolism , Male , Middle Aged , Neuroglia/cytology , Vimentin/metabolismABSTRACT
Optogenetic therapies for vision restoration aim to confer intrinsic light sensitivity to retinal ganglion cells when photoreceptors have degenerated and light sensitivity has been irreversibly lost. We combine adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy with calcium imaging to optically record optogenetically restored retinal ganglion cell activity in the fovea of the living primate. Recording from the intact eye of a living animal, we compare the patterns of activity evoked by the optogenetic actuator ChrimsonR with natural photoreceptor mediated stimulation in the same retinal ganglion cells. Optogenetic responses are recorded more than one year following administration of the therapy and two weeks after acute loss of photoreceptor input in the living animal. This in vivo imaging approach could be paired with any therapy to minimize the number of primates required to evaluate restored activity on the retinal level, while maximizing translational benefit by using an appropriate pre-clinical model of the human visual system.
Subject(s)
Blindness/therapy , Optogenetics/methods , Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate/pathology , Retinal Degeneration/therapy , Retinal Ganglion Cells/physiology , Animals , Blindness/diagnosis , Blindness/etiology , Dependovirus , Disease Models, Animal , Female , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Fovea Centralis/pathology , Genetic Vectors/administration & dosage , Genetic Vectors/genetics , Humans , Macaca fascicularis , Male , Ophthalmoscopy , Optical Imaging , Parvovirinae/genetics , Retinal Degeneration/complications , Retinal Degeneration/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Degeneration/pathologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To explore the role of foveal and parafoveal Müller cells in the morphology and pathophysiology of tractional macular disorders with a mathematical model of mechanical force transmission. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images of tractional lamellar macular holes and patients with myopic foveoschisis were reviewed and analysed with a mathematical model of force transmission. Parafoveal z-shaped Müller cells were modelled as a structure composed of three rigid rods, named R1, R2 and R3. The angle formed between the rods was referred to as θ . R1, R2 and R3 lengths as well as the variation of the angle θ were measured and correlated with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: In tractional lamellar macular holes, there was a significant reduction of the angle θ towards the foveal centre (p<0.001). By contrast, there were no significant differences in θ in myopic foveoschisis (p=0.570). R2 segments were more vertical in myopic foveoschisis. There was a significant association between lower θ angles at 200 µm temporal and nasal to the fovea and lower BCVA (p<0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). The stiffness of parafoveal Müller cells was predicted to be function of the angle θ , and it grew very rapidly as the θ decreased. CONCLUSION: Parafoveal Müller cells in the Henle fibre layer may guarantee structural stability of the parafovea by increasing retinal compliance and resistance to mechanical stress. Small values of the angle θ were related to worse BCVA possibly due to damage to Müller cell processes and photoreceptor's axons.
Subject(s)
Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology , Ependymoglial Cells/physiology , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Models, Theoretical , Retinal Perforations/physiopathology , Retinoschisis/physiopathology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retinal Perforations/diagnostic imaging , Retinoschisis/diagnostic imaging , Retrospective Studies , Slit Lamp Microscopy , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Visual Acuity/physiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To analyse the distribution of macular ganglion cell layer thickness (GCLT) in patients with foveal hypoplasia (FH) with or without albinism to obtain new insights into visual pathway anomalies in albinos. METHODS: Patients with FH who presented at our institution between 2013 and 2018 were retrospectively drawn for analysis. Mean GCLT was calculated after automated segmentation of spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans. Patients with FH due to albinism (n = 13, termed 'albinism FH') or other kinds (n = 10, termed 'non-albinism FH') were compared with control subjects (n = 15). The areas: fovea (central), parafovea (nasal I, temporal I) and perifovea (nasal II, temporal II) along the horizontal meridian were of particular interest. Primary endpoints of this study were the ratios (GCLT-I- and GCLT-II-Quotient) between the GCLT measured in the temporal I or II and nasal I or II areas. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the GCLT-I-Quotient of healthy controls and albinism FH (p<0.001), as well as between non-albinism FH and albinism FH (p = 0.004). GCLT-II-Quotient showed significant differences between healthy controls and albinism FH (p<0.001) and between non-albinism FH and albinism FH (p = 0.006). The best measure for distinguishing between non-albinism FH and albinism FH was the calculation of GCLT-II-Quotient (area temporal II divided by area nasal II), indicating albinism at a cut-off of <0.7169. The estimated specificity and sensitivity for this cut-off were 84.6% and 100.0%, respectively. The estimated area under the curve (AUC) was 0.892 [95%CI: 0.743-1.000, p = 0.002]. CONCLUSION: Macular GCLT-distribution showed a characteristic temporal to central shift in patients with FH due to albinism. Calculation of the GCLT-II-Quotient at a cut-off of <0.7169 presents a new diagnostic criterion for identification of ocular albinism.
Subject(s)
Albinism, Ocular/diagnosis , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Adolescent , Adult , Albinism, Ocular/pathology , Case-Control Studies , Child , Feasibility Studies , Female , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/pathology , Humans , Male , ROC Curve , Retrospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
We provide the first measures of foveal cone density as a function of axial length in living eyes and discuss the physical and visual implications of our findings. We used a new generation Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope to image cones at and near the fovea in 28 eyes of 16 subjects. Cone density and other metrics were computed in units of visual angle and linear retinal units. The foveal cone mosaic in longer eyes is expanded at the fovea, but not in proportion to eye length. Despite retinal stretching (decrease in cones/mm2), myopes generally have a higher angular sampling density (increase in cones/deg2) in and around the fovea compared to emmetropes, offering the potential for better visual acuity. Reports of deficits in best-corrected foveal vision in myopes compared to emmetropes cannot be explained by increased spacing between photoreceptors caused by retinal stretching during myopic progression.
Subject(s)
Cell Count , Eye/anatomy & histology , Fovea Centralis/anatomy & histology , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Adolescent , Adult , Anthropometry , Eye/diagnostic imaging , Female , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoscopy , Young AdultABSTRACT
The human retina is a complex tissue responsible for detecting photons of light and converting information from these photons into the neurochemical signals interpreted as vision. Such visual signaling not only requires sophisticated interactions between multiple classes of neurons, but also spatially-dependent molecular specialization of individual cell types. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on neural retina isolated from both the fovea and peripheral retina in three human donors. We recovered a total of 8,217â¯cells, with 3,578â¯cells originating from the fovea and 4,639â¯cells originating from the periphery. Expression profiles for all major retinal cell types were compiled, and differential expression analysis was performed between cells of foveal versus peripheral origin. Globally, mRNA for the serum iron binding protein transferrin (TF), which has been associated with age-related macular degeneration pathogenesis, was enriched in peripheral samples. Cone photoreceptor cells were of particular interest and formed two predominant clusters based on gene expression. One cone cluster had 96% of cells originating from foveal samples, while the second cone cluster consisted exclusively of peripherally isolated cells. A total of 148 genes were differentially expressed between cones from the fovea versus periphery. Interestingly, peripheral cones were enriched for the gene encoding Beta-Carotene Oxygenase 2 (BCO2). A relative deficiency of this enzyme may account for the accumulation of carotenoids responsible for yellow pigment deposition within the macula. Overall, this data set provides rich expression profiles of the major human retinal cell types and highlights transcriptomic features that distinguish foveal and peripheral cells.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Gene Expression Profiling , Retina/cytology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Aged, 80 and over , Dioxygenases/genetics , Female , Fovea Centralis/metabolism , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Retina/metabolism , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/metabolism , Tissue Donors , Transferrin/geneticsABSTRACT
AIMS: To evaluate long-term reconstructive changes in foveal microstructures and their associations with visual improvement in eyes with surgically closed macular holes (MHs). METHODS: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients who underwent successful idiopathic MH repair were retrospectively studied. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were examined preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months postoperatively. Correlations between postoperative BCVA and parameters relating to the reconstruction of the foveal photoreceptor layer including the external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ) and cone interdigitation zone (CIZ) as well as changes in glial cells were evaluated. RESULTS: Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA improved continuously during 3-year follow-up (baseline 0.70±0.27, 1 month 0.36±0.34, 3 months 0.29±0.30, 6 months 0.22±0.24, 12 months 0.18±0.25, 24 months 0.14±0.22, 36 months 0.10±0.19) (p=0.015). Continuous reconstruction of the foveal microstructure was apparent throughout the 3-year follow-up. The reconstruction process was initiated by glial proliferation, followed by ELM bridging, glial elimination with EZ reconstruction and CIZ reconstruction. Better BCVA at the 3-year time-point was significantly associated with early ELM bridging, early glial disappearance and photoreceptor integrity defined as complete reconstruction of the ELM, EZ and CIZ. CONCLUSIONS: Integrity of the photoreceptor layer was correlated with better long-term visual outcomes after MH repair. Reconstruction of the foveal ELM and disappearance of glial proliferation in the early postoperative period predicted better visual recovery.
Subject(s)
Endotamponade , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retinal Perforations/surgery , Visual Acuity/physiology , Vitrectomy , Aged , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoscopy , Prone Position , Retinal Perforations/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Perforations/physiopathology , Retrospective Studies , Slit Lamp Microscopy , Sulfur Hexafluoride/administration & dosage , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methodsABSTRACT
The primate foveola, with its high cone density and magnified cortical representation, is exquisitely specialized for high-resolution spatial vision. However, uncovering the wiring of retinal circuitry responsible for this performance has been challenging due to the difficulty in recording receptive fields of foveal retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in vivo. In this study, we use adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) to image the calcium responses of RGCs in the living primate, with a stable, high precision visual stimulus that allowed us to localize the receptive fields of hundreds of foveal ganglion cells. This approach revealed a precisely radial organization of foveal RGCs, despite the many distortions possible during the extended developmental migration of foveal cells. By back projecting the line connecting RGC somas to their receptive fields, we have been able to define the 'physiological center' of the foveola, locating the vertical meridian separating left and right hemifields in vivo.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Fovea Centralis/metabolism , Retinal Ganglion Cells/cytology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/metabolism , Vision, Ocular/physiology , Animals , Calcium/metabolism , Dependovirus/genetics , Fovea Centralis/diagnostic imaging , Gene Transfer Techniques , Genetic Vectors , Macaca fascicularis , Male , Microscopy, Confocal , Ophthalmoscopy , Spatio-Temporal Analysis , Tomography, Optical CoherenceABSTRACT
The AII amacrine cell is known as a key interneuron in the scotopic (night-vision) pathway in the retina. Under scotopic conditions, rod signals are transmitted via rod bipolar cells to AII amacrine cells, which split the rod signal into the OFF (via glycinergic synapses) and the ON pathway (via gap junctions). But the AII amacrine cell also has a "day job": at high light levels when cones are active, AII connections with ON cone bipolar cells provide crossover inhibition to extend the response range of OFF cone bipolar cells. The question whether AII cells contribute to crossover inhibition in primate fovea (where rods and rod bipolar cells are rare or absent) has not been answered. Here, immunohistochemistry and three-dimensional reconstruction show that calretinin positive cells in the fovea of macaque monkeys and humans have AII morphology and connect to cone bipolar cells. The pattern of AII connections to cone bipolar cells is quantitatively similar to that of AII cells outside the fovea. Our results support the view that in mammalian retina AII cells first evolved to serve cone circuits, then later were co-opted to process scotopic signals subsequent to the evolution of rod bipolar cells.
Subject(s)
Amacrine Cells/physiology , Color Vision , Fovea Centralis/physiology , Retinal Bipolar Cells/physiology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Visual Pathways/physiology , Adult , Amacrine Cells/cytology , Animals , Connectome , Dark Adaptation , Female , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Humans , Macaca , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Visual object information is conveyed from V1 to area TE along the ventral visual pathway with increasing receptive field (RF) sizes. The RFs of TE neurons are known to be large, but it is largely unknown how large RFs are shaped along the ventral visual pathway. In this study, we addressed this question in two aspects, static and dynamic mechanisms, by recording neural responses from macaque area TE and V4 to object stimuli presented at various locations in the visual field. As a component related to static mechanisms, we found that in area TE, but not in V4, response latency to objects presented at fovea were different from objects in periphery. As a component of the dynamic mechanisms, we examined effects of spatial attention on the RFs of TE neurons. Spatial attention did not affect response latency but modulated response magnitudes depending on attended location, shifting of the longitudinal axis of RFs toward the attended locations. In standard models of large RF formation, downstream neurons pool information from nearby RFs, and this process is repeated across the visual field and at each step along the ventral visual pathway. The present study revealed that this mechanism is not that simple: 1) different circuit mechanisms for foveal and peripheral visual fields may be situated between V4 and area TE, and 2) spatial attention dynamically changes the shape of RFs.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Receptive fields (RFs) of neurons are progressively increased along the ventral visual pathway so that an RF at the final stage, area TE, covers a large area of the visual field. We explored the mechanism and suggested involvement of parallel circuit mechanisms between V4 and TE for foveal and peripheral parts of visual field. We also found a dynamic component of RF shape formation through attentional modulation of responses in a location-dependent manner.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/physiology , Visual Cortex/physiology , Visual Fields , Animals , Female , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Macaca , Male , Neurons/physiology , Reaction Time , Visual Cortex/cytology , Visual Pathways/cytology , Visual Pathways/physiologyABSTRACT
The retinae of many bird species contain a depression with high photoreceptor density known as the fovea. Many species of raptors have two foveae, a deep central fovea and a shallower temporal fovea. Birds have six types of photoreceptors: rods, active in dim light, double cones that are thought to mediate achromatic discrimination, and four types of single cones mediating color vision. To maximize visual acuity, the fovea should only contain photoreceptors contributing to high-resolution vision. Interestingly, it has been suggested that raptors might lack double cones in the fovea. We used transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry to evaluate this claim in five raptor species: the common buzzard (Buteo buteo), the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), the red kite (Milvus milvus), and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). We found that all species, except the Eurasian sparrowhawk, lack double cones in the center of the central fovea. The size of the double cone-free zone differed between species. Only the common buzzard had a double cone-free zone in the temporal fovea. In three species, we examined opsin expression in the central fovea and found evidence that rod opsin positive cells were absent and violet-sensitive cone and green-sensitive cone opsin positive cells were present. We conclude that not only double cones, but also single cones may contribute to high-resolution vision in birds, and that raptors may in fact possess high-resolution tetrachromatic vision in the central fovea.
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Raptors/anatomy & histology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Animals , Color , Female , Fovea Centralis/ultrastructure , Male , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission , Opsins/metabolism , Retina/anatomy & histology , Retina/ultrastructure , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/ultrastructure , Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells/ultrastructure , Rhodopsin/classification , Rhodopsin/metabolism , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To analyze cone mosaic metrics on adaptive optics (AO) images as a function of retinal eccentricity in two different age groups using a commercial flood illumination AO device. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-three eyes of 28 healthy subjects divided into two age groups were imaged using an AO flood-illumination camera (rtx1; Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). A 16° × 4° field was obtained horizontally. Cone-packing metrics were determined in five neighboring 50 µm × 50 µm regions. Both retinal (cones/mm2 and µm) and visual (cones/degrees2 and arcmin) units were computed. RESULTS: Results for cone mosaic metrics at 2°, 2.5°, 3°, 4°, and 5° eccentricity were compatible with previous AO scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and histology data. No significant difference was observed between the two age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The rtx1 camera enabled reproducible measurements of cone-packing metrics across the extrafoveal retina. These findings may contribute to the development of normative data and act as a reference for future research. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:45-50.].
Subject(s)
Fovea Centralis/cytology , Optics and Photonics , Photography/instrumentation , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoscopy , Reference Values , Reproducibility of Results , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Visual Acuity , Young AdultABSTRACT
Increased cone photoreceptor density, an avascular zone (FAZ), and the displacement of inner retinal neurons to form a pit are distinct features of the human fovea. As the fovea provides the majority of our vision, appreciating how these anatomical specializations are related is important for understanding foveal development, normal visual function, and retinal disease. Here we evaluated the relationship between these specializations and their location relative to the preferred retinal locus of fixation (PRL). We measured foveal pit volume, FAZ area, peak cone density, and location of the PRL in 22 subjects with normal vision using optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. Foveal pit volume was positively correlated with FAZ area; however, peak cone density was not correlated with pit volume. In addition, there was no systematic offset of the location of any of these specializations relative to PRL, and there was no correlation between the magnitude of the offset from PRL and the corresponding foveal specialization measurements (pit volume, FAZ area, peak cone density). The standard deviation of our PRL measurements was consistent with previous measurements of fixational stability. These data provide insight into the sequence of events during foveal development and may have implications for visual function and retinal disease.
Subject(s)
Fixation, Ocular/physiology , Fovea Centralis/cytology , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cell Count , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmoscopy , Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells/physiology , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Visual Acuity , Young AdultABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the reproducibility and repeatability of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area measurements using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) in healthy subjects. METHODS: Sixty-four eyes of 64 healthy volunteers were randomly subjected to FAZ area measurements using SS-OCTA by 2 examiners in 2 different sessions. RESULTS: The FAZ areas measured by the first and second observer were 0.269 ± 0.092 mm2 and 0.270 ± 0.090 mm2, respectively. Within subjects, the coefficients of variations were 2.44% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95% to 2.93%) and 2.66% (95% CI 2.00% to 3.31%) for the first and second observers, respectively. The coefficient of repeatability average measurements of FAZ area were 0.021 mm2 and 0.024 mm2. The intraclass correlation coefficient values were 0.993 (95% CI 0.989 to 0.996) and 0.991 (95% CI 0.986 to 0.995). Interobserver and intraobserver concordance correlation coefficients ranged from 0.998 (95% CI 0.997 to 0.999) to 0.999 (95% CI 0.998 to 0.999) and from 0.989 (95% CI 0.982 to 0.993) to 0.987 (95% CI 0.979 to 0.992), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The FAZ area measurements by means of SS-OCTA showed high reproducibility and repeatability in healthy eyes.