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Enabling High Grayscale Resolution Displays and Accurate Response Time Measurements on Conventional Computers
Published on: February 29, 2012
Flicker ERGs representing chromaticity and luminance signals
Jan Kremers1, Anderson Raiol Rodrigues, Luiz Carlos de Lima Silveira
1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. jan.kremers@uk-erlangen.de
Purpose:
To test the hypothesis that electroretinograms (ERGs) reflect luminance activity when measured at high temporal frequencies and chromatic activity when measured near 12 Hz.
Methods:
The authors measured the responses to stimuli in which the output of red and green light-emitting diodes was modulated in counterphase at different ratios, varying the luminance content in the stimulus while keeping the red-green chromatic contrast and its phase constant.
Results:
The high temporal frequency electroretinography was determined mainly by the luminance contrast. At 12 Hz, electroretinographic response amplitudes and phases primarily reflected the red-green chromatic content of the stimulus. Control experiments, performed with a deuteranopic subject and with stimuli that silenced the rods and S-cones, excluded an explanation based on intrusion from rod- and S-cone-driven responses.
Conclusions:
It now is possible to perform noninvasive measurements of basic electrophysiological properties of the luminance and chromatic pathways on a retinal level, and their disease-related changes, in human observers.
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