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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

A Standardized Obstacle Course for Assessment of Visual Function in Ultra Low Vision and Artificial Vision
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Vision: Filling Black Holes.

Guido Marco Cicchini1

  • 1Institute of Neuroscience, CNR, Via Moruzzi, 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.

Current Biology : CB
|April 3, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Our visual system cleverly fills in missing visual information in the dark. A new study reveals surprising details about how the brain achieves this visual completion at night.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Vision Science
  • Perception

Background:

  • The human visual system typically relies on light to perceive the environment.
  • The central visual field is crucial for detailed visual processing.
  • Despite lack of central input at night, vision is maintained.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms behind visual compensation in the absence of central visual field information.
  • To explore the paradoxes inherent in nocturnal vision and visual filling-in.
  • To understand how the brain reconstructs a coherent visual scene in low-light conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized psychophysical experiments to assess visual perception under simulated nocturnal conditions.
  • Employed computational modeling to simulate neural processes involved in visual filling-in.

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  • Analyzed subjective reports and objective performance measures of participants.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstrated that the visual system actively generates percepts in the absence of direct sensory input.
    • Identified specific patterns of neural activity associated with visual completion.
    • Revealed that perceived visual information at night can deviate from actual visual stimuli.

    Conclusions:

    • The brain's ability to fill visual gaps is a complex and active process, not merely passive reception.
    • Nocturnal vision highlights the constructive nature of perception, showcasing the brain's predictive capabilities.
    • Understanding these filling-in phenomena offers insights into visual processing and potential therapeutic targets for visual disorders.