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Visual thresholds in albino and pigmented rats.

P Herreros de Tejada1, D G Green, C Muñoz Tedó

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48104-1687.

Visual Neuroscience
|September 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Albino rats do not have higher visual detection thresholds than pigmented rats. Experiments using evoked potentials in the cortex and colliculus found no significant differences in dark-adapted thresholds between rat strains.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science
  • Comparative Psychology

Background:

  • Recent studies suggested albino rats exhibit higher visual increment thresholds than pigmented rats.
  • Previous attempts to replicate these findings using electroretinogram b-waves and pupillary light reflexes were unsuccessful.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate potential differences in visual detection thresholds between albino and pigmented rats.
  • To validate or refute previous reports of impaired vision in albino rats.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) from the cortex and superior colliculus in albino (CD) and pigmented (Long-Evans) rats.
  • Determined dark-adapted thresholds by extrapolating intensity-response curves to zero evoked potential.
  • Performed single-unit recordings in the superior colliculus.

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  • Measured human absolute visual thresholds for comparison.

    • Main Results:

    • No statistically significant differences were found in dark-adapted thresholds between albino and pigmented rats for either cortical or superior colliculus VEPs.
    • Average dark-adapted thresholds for cortical VEPs were -5.60 log cd/m² (pigmented) and -5.80 log cd/m² (albino).
    • Average dark-adapted thresholds for superior colliculus VEPs were -5.54 log cd/m² (pigmented) and -5.84 log cd/m² (albino).
    • Single neurons in the albino rat's superior colliculus responded to very dim flashes.
    • Human absolute visual thresholds averaged -5.3 log cd/m², comparable to rat thresholds.

    Conclusions:

    • The study failed to confirm previous reports of significantly higher visual detection thresholds in albino rats compared to pigmented rats.
    • Electrophysiological evidence suggests comparable visual sensitivity between albino and pigmented rats under dark-adapted conditions.
    • Albino rats possess functional visual pathways capable of detecting very dim light stimuli.