Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Macular pigment shows ringlike structures.

Tos T J M Berendschot1, Dirk van Norren

  • 1University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. t.berendschot@ohk.unimass.nl

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|January 25, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Macular pigment optical density is not uniform; a ring pattern, not just a central peak, was observed in many subjects. This finding challenges previous assumptions about macular pigment distribution in the human eye.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The repeatability and comparison between swept-source optical coherence tomography and Scheimpflug imaging in healthy eyes and various grades of keratoconus.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Trans-ethnic estimation and implications of genetic impact on continuous glycemic profiles.

Cell discovery·2026
Same author

Response to correspondence: "Reappraising the neurovascular link between arterial stiffness and neuropathy: proposal for a neurovascular uncoupling index".

Journal of hypertension·2026
Same author

The Association Between Adherence to the Dutch Healthy Diet Index and Glaucoma Prevalence-The Maastricht Study.

Nutrients·2026
Same author

Estimating the prevalence of visual impairment in the Netherlands, with forecasts up to 2050: a meta-analysis of national databases.

EClinicalMedicine·2026
Same author

Correction: Artificial intelligence in pediatric myopia-a narrative review.

Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie·2026

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Vision Science
  • Retinal Imaging

Background:

  • Macular pigment distribution is typically modeled as a simple decrease from the fovea.
  • Previous studies suggested potential complexities in macular pigment spatial distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial distribution of macular pigment optical density.
  • To determine if macular pigment distribution follows a simple, monotonous decrease or exhibits more complex patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Fundus reflectance and autofluorescence maps were acquired using a custom scanning laser ophthalmoscope at 488 and 514 nm.
  • Digital subtraction of log reflectance and log autofluorescence at two wavelengths was used to create density maps of absorbers.

Main Results:

  • A distinct ring pattern of macular pigment optical density was observed in approximately half of the healthy subjects.
  • This ring pattern, located at a mean eccentricity of 0.7 degrees, sometimes showed higher optical density than the central foveal peak.
  • A model incorporating an exponentially decaying density and a Gaussian ring pattern effectively described the observed data.

Conclusions:

  • Both reflectance and autofluorescence imaging revealed ring patterns in macular pigment distribution.
  • These observed ring patterns likely correspond to the anatomical structure of the inner plexiform layer of the retina.

Related Experiment Videos