Fixation light hue bias revisited: implications for using adaptive optics to study color vision

Area of Science:

• Vision Science
• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Adaptive optics (AO) systems in vision science utilize near-infrared wavefront sensor beacons, often perceived as red spots.
• Colored fixation targets are known to induce color perception biases in visual stimuli.
• The potential influence of AO wavefront sensor beacons on color perception in fine-scale vision studies remains unquantified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the impact of wavefront sensor beacons on perceived color in subjects using adaptive optics.
• To determine if beacon presence and position affect color appearance of visual stimuli.
• To highlight the necessity of addressing beacon-induced color bias in AO research.

Main Methods:

• Investigated the effect of a wavefront sensor beacon on color appearance using dim, monochromatic point sources.
• Tested five human subjects under controlled adaptive optics conditions.
• Assessed color perception with the beacon as a fixation target and when spatially displaced.

Main Results:

• The presence of the wavefront sensor beacon significantly altered subjects' color reports.
• This color alteration occurred regardless of whether the beacon served as the fixation target or was displaced.
• The study provides the first quantification of beacon-induced color bias in AO vision research.

Conclusions:

• Wavefront sensor beacons introduce a measurable bias in color perception during adaptive optics experiments.
• This bias must be considered when interpreting existing and future AO studies on color and spatial vision.
• Future adaptive optics methods should incorporate strategies to mitigate or eliminate wavefront sensor beacon color influence.