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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Visual hand display (VHD) as an introductory procedure for measuring vision in infants and young children with visual impairment.

We developed the Visual Hand Display (VHD) to measure vision in visually impaired infants and young children. The VHD is a circular fabric mitten, which is held easily by inserting the hand between the two surfaces. Black-and-white stripes are attached to one surface, 25, 15, 10, 4, and 2 mm per stripe. The VHD acuity is determined by the shortest test distance and the smallest stripes that the patient can detect. The VHD acuities were compared with preferential looking (PL) staircase acuities in 130 patients (53 males, 77 females; age range, 2 to 13 years; median, 21.0 months). Of these, 107 (82.3%) had various degrees of retinopathy of prematurity. The correlation between the VHD and the PL acuities was high (R2 = 0.849). PL acuities were better than the VHD acuities in 98/130 patients (75.4%), with an average difference of 0.51 (SD = 0.70) octave. The visual acuity differences were more pronounced in subjects with slight visual impairment and much less in subjects with severe visual impairment. The VHD seems to be an effective introductory method to evaluate visual acuity in severely visually impaired infants and young children. This method also would be effective with severely mentally and physically disabled patients who cannot undergo PL testing.

Adolescent↗

The effect of visual experience on development of NMDA receptor synaptic transmission in kitten visual cortex.

We have studied the effect of dark rearing on the development of excitatory amino acid transmission in 6-week-old kittens. In normal kittens, the NMDA component of the visual response decreases between 3 and 6 weeks of age for cells located in layers IV, V, and VI (Fox et al., 1991). Dark rearing to 6 weeks of age prevents this decrease. Subsequent exposure to light allows the decrease to proceed. Ten days in the light after 6 weeks in the dark was sufficient to decrease the NMDA component of the visual response to the same levels seen in light-reared animals of the same age. Comparison of the effect of the non-NMDA antagonist 6-cyano-7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione with the NMDA antagonist aminophosphonovalerate showed that the changes were due to the relative contributions of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors to the visual response rather than the overall contribution of glutamate receptors. We also studied the receptive field properties of the cells in the various groups of kittens. Cells given 4 d in the light after 6 weeks in the dark showed increased direction selectivity but little change in response firing rate. After 10 d in the light, visual responses did show some recovery toward adult values, but neither average firing rates nor the proportion of direction-selective cells reached the levels found in normal 6-week-old animals, contrary to the suggestion that a short period in the light can reverse the effect of dark rearing completely. These results show that the decrease in the NMDA component of the visual response seen during normal development of the cortex is caused by visual experience. Changes in NMDA receptors and developmental events such as geniculocortical afferent segregation and acquisition of orientation tuning covary as a function of visual experience rather than age, strongly suggesting that NMDA receptors are involved in experience-dependent developmental processes.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Flash visual-evoked potentials and flash electroretinography in the preoperative visual prognosis of eyes with cataracts.

This study evaluated the reliability of flash visual-evoked potentials and flash electroretinography in the prognosis of postoperative visual acuity after cataract extraction. We tested 94 patients with cataract in whom the preoperative visual acuity ranged from light perception to 3/10. On the basis of the electrophysiologic tests, we formulated three types of preoperative visual prognosis: high, intermediate, and poor. To assess the postoperative visual acuity, all subjects were followed for at least three months after cataract extraction. Visual acuity was subdivided in three arbitrary classes: less than or equal to 1/10, between 2/10 and 5/10, and between 6/10 and 10/10. Finally, we evaluated the reliability of our preoperative prognosis. Statistical analysis of our results (using the chi-square test) showed our predictions were highly significant for the total sample, revealing a strict correlation between our prognosis and the final visual acuity.

Adult↗

The predictability of infant visual-evoked response testing on future visual acuity.

We reviewed the records of 27 infants with abnormal eye examinations and visual-evoked response (VER) testing (mean age, 10.5 months) who subsequently underwent a long-term follow-up ophthalmology examination (mean duration, 41 months). The infants were initially diagnosed with various ocular disorders including cortical blindness (eight), optic nerve hypoplasia (six), congenital cataract (two), and retinopathy of prematurity (one). Standard optotype visual-acuity determinations were available in the follow-up records of 11 children (21 eyes), and fixation behavior was obtained in the remaining 16 children (32 eyes). Results revealed that pattern-reversal VER P1 latency was predictive (87%) of whether visual acuity was equal to (or better than) or worse than 20/100 and whether a patient would have good fixation behavior (fix and follow, FF) or poor fixation (no FF) (86%) (P less than .001). Although flash VER P1 latency was also predictive of later visual acuity or good fixation (73%), it was not statistically significant. Pattern VER P1 amplitude and flash VER P1 amplitude were not predictive of later visual function. The predictive power of pattern VER P1 latency for later visual function probably relates to its reflection of macular function and low variability. An analysis of the variability of each of the four VER factors in normal infants (n = 50) indicated that pattern VER P1 latency was the least variable, and consequently most sensitive, VER factor for detecting and quantifying pathology. Overall, the results of this retrospective study suggest that pattern VER P1 latency may have important predictive power for later visual function in infants with an initially abnormal ophthalmologic examination.

Evoked Potentials, Visual↗

[Visual perception in normal children and adults I. Developmental changes in dominance of visual field in normal children].

Developmental changes of dominance of visual field was evaluated using a tachistoscope in 70 normal subjects from 4 years of age up to adulthood (35 males and 35 females). The time of exposure was measured under two experimental conditions; simultaneous stimulation of different types to both left and right fields, or a single stimulus only to one visual field. One of the following stimuli was exposed to the visual field; one, two or three letters of Japanese characters ("hirakana"), one of Chinese characters ("kanji"), figures, and Roman alphabets. Simultaneous bilateral stimulation revealed frequent dominance in the right visual field, which was established by 4 years of age. The average time of exposure become shorter with age up to 6-7 years for one "hirakana" letter and one "kanji", and up to 10 years for two and three "hirakana" letters. All four left-handed subjects in this study showed dominance of the right visual field. Dominance of the left visual field was observed in 3 of 52 subjects with dominance of the right eye (5.8%), and in 5 of 15 with dominance of the left eye (33.3%). This difference was statistically significant (chi 2 = 8.41, p less than 0.01). It was suggested that dominance of the visual field was related with dominance of the eye, and not with handedness.

Adolescent↗

[Visual perception in normal children and adults II. Correlation between dominance of visual field and dominance of the eye].

To clarify more precisely about the correlation between the dominance of visual field and dominance of the eye, tachistoscopic examination was performed on 48 normal adults; 24 males and 24 females, and 24 right-handed and 24 left-handed subjects. The mean of the time of exposure was less than 4.5 msec. The time of exposure was independent of handedness, dominance of the eye, sex, or the type of stimulus. Four right-handed and four left-handed subjects showed dominance of the left visual field for the A value, suggesting no correlation between handedness and dominance of the visual field. However, six of those eight subjects were found to have dominance of the left eye for the A value, and all seven subjects with dominance of the left visual field for the D value showed dominance of the left eye (chi 2 = 16.39, p less than 0.001). It was concluded that dominance of the eye was significantly correlated with visual field. It is therefore important to examine dominance of the eye as well as dominance of the visual field for evaluation of cerebral dominance with regard to visual perception.

Adult↗

[Age dynamics of visually guided behavior and visual evoked potentials of altricial nestlings].

Comparative study has been carried out of factors of organization of visually guided feeding behaviour (observation method) and the degree of maturity of the visual mechanisms by the criterion of Wulst EPs formation and of their recovery cycles in normally developing and visually deprived nestlings. In has been established that during the period following the opening of the eyes (5-9th day) the feeding behaviour is connected with diffuse photo-sensitivity of visual mechanisms. Diffuse photo-sensitivity fully provides for natural feeding behaviour at the corresponding stage of development of visual functions. Complete visual deprivation during the whole period of diffuse photo-sensitivity does not influence subsequent development of the visual system.

Age Factors↗

Functional properties of parietal visual neurons: radial organization of directionalities within the visual field.

Parietal visual neurons (PVNs) were studied in waking monkeys as they executed a simple fixation-detection task. Test visual stimuli of varied direction, speed, and extent were presented during the fixation period; these stimuli did not control behavior. Most PVNs subtend large, bilateral receptive fields and are exquisitely sensitive to stimulus motion and direction but insensitive to stimulus speed. The directional preferences of PVNs along meridians are opponently organized, with the preferred directions pointing either inward toward or outward away from the fixation point. Evidence presented in the preceding paper (Motter et al., 1987) indicates that opponent directionality along a single meridian is produced by a feed-forward inhibition of 20 degrees-30 degrees spatial extent. The observations fit a double-Gaussian model of superimposed but unequal excitatory and inhibitory receptive fields: When the former is larger, inward directionality results; when smaller, outward directionality results. We examine here the distribution of the meridional directional preferences in the visual field. Tests showed that opponent organization is not produced by differences in local directional properties in different parts of the receptive field. The distribution of response intensities from one meridian to another is adequately described by a sine wave function. These data indicate a best radial direction for each neuron with a broad distribution of response intensities over successive meridians. Thus, any single PVN, with rare exceptions, cannot signal radial stimulus direction precisely. We then determined how accurately the population response predicted radial stimulus direction by the application of a linear vector summation model. The resulting population vector varied from stimulus direction by an average of 9 degrees. Whether or not the perception of the direction of motion depends upon a population vector remains uncertain. PVNs are especially sensitive to object movement in the visual surround, particularly in the periphery of the visual field. This, combined with their large receptive fields and their wide but flat sensitivity to stimulus speed, makes them especially sensitive to optic flow. This is discussed in relation to the role of the parietal visual system in the visual guidance of projected movements of the arm and hand, in the guidance of locomotion, and in evoking the illusion of vection.

Action Potentials↗

Visual-vestibular interactions: I. Influence of peripheral vision on suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex and visual acuity.

Legibility of head-fixed displays in some motion environments is partially dependent upon visual suppression of the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR). This study investigates the effects of differing relationships between peripheral background movement and whole-body motion on the VOR and on visual performance. The purpose of the study is to explore factors in motion environments that influence performance limits and to develop procedures of potential usefulness in evaluating interacting visual and vestibular function. Visual performance and visual suppression of the VOR were markedly different, depending upon the relative direction of peripheral background movement. Visual suppression of the VOR, and visual performance, were disrupted far more when vestibular inputs and peripheral optokinetic inputs were discordant than when they were concordant. Results have potential implications for head-up displays and suggest a procedure for evaluating visual/vestibular function.

Acceleration↗

Steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials from stimulation of visual field quadrants. Optimizing pattern variables for the size of the field to be investigated.

The effects of check size and stimulus size were investigated to optimize the steady-state visual evoked cortical potentials from pattern-reversal stimulation of the visual field quadrants. Check sizes of 15', 30', 60', 90', 120' and 180' were investigated at a pattern reversal rate of 11.6 per second for field sizes varying from 2 degrees x 2 degrees to 24 degrees x 24 degrees. The visual evoked cortical potentials were recorded from mid occipital, right occipital and left occipital positions. In the inferonasal quadrant, the largest amplitudes were obtained with 30' and 60' check sizes; however, for these check sizes, the visual evoked cortical potential yielded limited additional information for field sizes greater than 4 degrees x 4 degrees and 6 degrees x 6 degrees, respectively. When a field size of 12 degrees x 12 degrees was investigated, a 90' check size was optimal. The results indicated that, with the above recording positions and check sizes of 15' to 120', there is an optimal number of pattern elements, 40 to 100, for stimulation of the inferonasal quadrant. This should be taken into account when a check size is selected to investigate a field quadrant of a particular size. Digital signal processing techniques were applied to analyze the visual evoked cortical potential, and the system shows promise for objective examination of the visual field.

Adult↗

Automatic perimetry and visual P300: differences between upper and lower visual fields stimulation in healthy subjects.

Human visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) from upper and lower hemifield stimulation are thought to reflect the anatomical and functional differences between the hemiretinas and corresponding visual pathways. Conflicting results have, however, been reported in topographic studies on the putative cortical generators. We have estimated by automatic perimetry (Octopus 2000R, Program 32) and compared the sensitivity thresholds of lower and upper hemifields of the retina in 12 healthy subjects with no history or evidence of visual or neurological diseases. A visual P3 that is linked to cognitive function was recorded in an odd-ball paradigm with presentation of high-contrast checkerboards at two different spatial frequencies at 20 degrees eccentricity in each hemifield. VEP and P3 were recorded at O1 and O2 and at Cz according to the 10/20 international system. Lower sensitivity thresholds were found, and higher VEP and event-related potential (ERP) amplitude values were obtained when stimulating the lower, compared with the upper, visual hemifield. The results are consistent with previous findings and anatomical and physiological evidence in animals and man. Interactions between perceptive process in the visual system and higher cognitive functions are a possible explanation for this finding.

Adult↗

Senescence of visual function as studied by visually evoked cortical potentials.

Visual functions in senescence were assessed quantitatively by the pattern reversal visually evoked cortical potentials (VECP) in human subjects and animals. The results obtained in the elderly showed an elevation of contrast threshold, ie, lowered sensitivity, for higher spatial frequency, and a rise in the luminance thresholds. There was also an overall suppression in the temporal frequency curves, a sensitivity decrease for the upper half of the visual field, a blue-yellow defect and a decrease in the amplitude of accommodation. Studies of the pseudophakic eye with an intraocular lens verified that the lower transparency and yellowish changes of the crystalline lens and senile miosis do not entirely account for the depressed visual function in the elderly. The delay of P100 peak latency of the VECP in patients with juvenile Parkinson's disease after cessation of L-dopa indicated the deficiency of dopamine in these patients, which in turn was considered as a clinical model of senescence. Optic nerve fiber counts in mice showed a significant decrease in the aged group. It was considered that there is neuronal senescence other than in the eye itself. The results can be illustrated by the following daily life experience. In the evening, an elderly person would have difficulty in identifying a cat as a calico cat if the cat were atop a wall and running quickly through the visual field. It was surprising, however, that the senescence found in the visual function was not as great as that found in the other sensory organs. As further studies, investigation of the feedback mechanism from the brain to the retina and the compensatory mechanism should be made.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

Assessment of visual function in patients with age-related macular degeneration and low visual acuity.

The visual function of 100 eyes with low visual acuity of 100 patients with age-related macular degeneration was examined using measurements of visual acuity, peak contrast sensitivity, and the ability to read, to tell time, and to distinguish colors, products, and facial expressions. Visual acuity and peak contrast sensitivity were correlated (r = .62); however, a range of peak contrast sensitivities was observed at each level of acuity. When considered individually, visual acuity and peak contrast sensitivity were related to the ability to perform each of the tasks. When multivariate methods were applied, both visual acuity and peak contrast sensitivity contributed independently to the ability to read and tell time. Among patients with the same contrast sensitivity, visual acuity had little or no relationship to the ability to identify colors, products, and faces.

Aged↗

Expansion of the ipsilateral visual corticotectal projection in hamsters subjected to partial lesions of the visual cortex during infancy: anatomical experiments.

Electrophysiological methods were employed to determine whether or not partial visual cortical lesions in neonatal (7--11-day) hamster produced large scotomas in the cortical visual representation. In cases where such scotomas were present electrophoretic deposits of radioactive amino acids in the visually responsive "cortical remnant" of the damaged hemisphere resulted in labelling throughout the lower portion of the stratum griseum superficiale and the stratum opticum of the ipsilateral superior colliculus. No differential labeling of the part of the colliculus which was topographically matched with the remaining visual representation in the cortical remnant was observed. In normal hamsters relatively localized, visual cortical deposits of radioactive amino acids resulted in superficial layer labeling only in portions of the colliculus which corresponded to the locus of the cortical deposit. In a similar fashion, small lesions at physiologically defined loci in the cortical remnant produced degeneration throughout most of the superficial tectal laminae, but a more restricted "focus" of denser degeneration was also visible in these cases. The position of this focus in the colliculus for a given cortical lesion varied with the nature of the visual map in the cortical remnant. In several additional neonatally brain-damaged hamsters large lesions of the visual cortex in the intact hemisphere were combined with radioactive amino acid deposits in the cortical remnant to determine whether or not axons from the crossed corticocollicular pathway previously demonstrated in such hamsters were intermingled with fibers from the ipsilateral corticotectal projection. In alternate sections processed for autoradiography or by the Fink-Heimer ('67) method autoradiographic label and degeneration argyrophilia were both observed in the medical part of the colliculus ipsilateral to the neonatal cortical lesion.

Aging↗

Role of visual experience in promoting segregation of eye dominance patches in the visual cortex of the cat.

Transneuronal autoradiography was used to study the role of visual experience in the development of ocular dominance patches in the cat. In order to assess quantitatively the effects of visual deprivation, image analysis was used to measure the profiles of grain density in layer IV. Fourier power spectra of these profiles were computed to give a measure of the amplitudes and frequencies of the fluctuations in grain density that were present. Deprivation of normal patterned vision by binocular lid suture or by rearing in total darkness from shortly after birth abolished the dominant periodicity (of about 1.1 mm) in the distribution of left and right eye afferents in layer IV of area 17. A dominant periodicity of about 2.2 mm was, however, present in area 18 of both normal and dark-reared animals. Visual deprivation was not able to reverse segregation. One animal reared normally for 6 weeks was placed in the dark for a further 28 weeks and showed normal periodicities in the distribution of geniculate inputs to area 17. Another animal given 128 hours of experience and kept in the dark for the rest of the time until it was 12 weeks old also showed normal segregation. To determine the minimum amount of visual experience necessary for segregation to occur, four animals were given 8-, 24-, 48-, and 128-hour periods of visual experience and were studied at 12 weeks of age. Eight hours of experience had no detectable effect on segregation; periodicities of intermediate amplitude were present in animals that received 24 and 48 hours of experience, while 128 hours of experience resulted in periodicities of normal amplitude. Recovery from visual deprivation was studied by rearing kittens from birth in the dark for varying periods and then returning them to the normally lit colony room for periods of 6 to 22 weeks. Recovery from 6 weeks of dark rearing was found to be complete; much less recovery occurred following periods of 8 to 25 weeks of initial deprivation, and no recovery at all occurred after 30 weeks of deprivation. It is concluded that the spontaneous activity present in the geniculocortical afferents of dark-reared and lid-sutured cats is not adequate to drive normal periodic segregation in area 17, though it can do so in area 18. Between 48 and 128 hours of visual experience, given before 8 weeks of age, appears to be necessary and sufficient for normal periodic segregation of geniculate afferents in area 17 of the cat.

Animals↗

Laminar distribution of NMDA receptors in cat and monkey visual cortex visualized by [3H]-MK-801 binding.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the mammalian central nervous system. Two major classes of glutamate receptors have been reported. The actions of glutamate on its N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type receptor may underlie developmental and adult plasticity as well as neurotoxicity. The NMDA-type of glutamate receptor in cat and monkey visual cortex was visualized by means of in vitro receptor autoradiography with the noncompetitive NMDA-receptor antagonist [3H]-MK-801. The kinetics, performed on tissue sections, revealed an apparently single, saturable site with an approximate dissociation constant (KD) of 18.5 nM in cat and 15.9 nM in monkey visual cortex. Autoradiography, performed on frontal sections of cat and monkey visual cortex, revealed a heterogeneous laminar distribution of NMDA receptors. Cat areas 17, 18, 19, and the lateral suprasylvian areas exhibited a similar NMDA-receptor distribution. In these areas, NMDA receptors were most prominent in layer II and the upper part of layer III. In monkey striate cortex, NMDA receptors were primarily concentrated in layers II, upper III, IVc, V, and VI. In monkey secondary visual cortex, [3H]-MK-801 labeling was most prominent in layers II, V, and VI; whereas in the temporal visual areas included in this study layer II displayed the heaviest receptor labeling. In neither cat nor monkey could we observe significant differences in NMDA-receptor distribution between different retinotopic subdivisions within a single visual area. Neither did we detect any periodic changes in NMDA-receptor distribution that would correspond to the compartments defined by cytochrome-oxidase in monkey V1 and V2.

Animals↗

Effects of lateral displacement of the visual field on the development of visual-motor abilities in cats.

In this study, we test the flexibility of the cat's visual system by examining the visual-motor effects of both moderate and extreme lateral displacement of the visual field. While being reared with masks that provided either 0, 15, or 30 diopters lateral displacement of the visual field, 23 kittens received 3 tests of visual-motor abilities: a visual cliff task, a visual guiding task, and a five-alley choice task. No significant differences were found among the 0, 15, or 30 diopter displacement groups for any of the 3 tasks for either the total number of days to reach criterion performance, for the development of performance over time during the early days of testing, or for the development over time to criterion performance. After reaching criterion, kittens readapted to transposed conditions of displacement. The group changed 30 diopters did significantly worse than the group changed 15 diopters, both in error scores and in time to criterion performance. The present results with kittens are compared to those of other investigators and suggestions are made for future research.

Aging↗

Spatial and temporal differentiation of fMRI BOLD response in primary visual cortex of human brain during sustained visual simulation.

The blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response during sustained visual stimulation has been studied by several groups using fMRI with controversial conclusions. This issue was investigated for the human brain at high (4 Tesla) magnetic field strength using a flashing goggle at 8 Hz. The results demonstrate that the overall BOLD response in the primary visual cortex has an initial overshoot after the onset of visual stimulation and an undershoot after the termination of visual stimulation. A significant and positive BOLD response, however, remains constant between the initial and terminal transient responses. The temporal BOLD responses in the primary visual cortex were spatially dependent. The regions identified as draining veins in images displayed proportionately larger initial and terminal transient responses, whereas regions devoid of such vessels and associated mainly with parenchyma exhibited a more time-independent BOLD response. These results reveal that the BOLD effect and, presumably, the uncoupling between cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption, are maintained in the primary visual cortex during sustained visual stimulation, and the temporal characteristics of the BOLD effect are spatially dependent.

Humans↗