Invariant features of spatial summation with changing locus in the visual field

1. Spatial summation curves have been determined under photopic conditions for loci between 5 and 55 degrees from fixation. At each locus the area and Weber fraction for the largest stimulus showing complete summation (Sc) has been estimated. While the area of Sc increases progressively towards the periphery, its Weber fraction remains constant.2. The invariance of the Weber fraction for Sc, coupled with changes in its area, have been compared with similar findings observed during changes in adaptation level, in impaired fields, and during accommodative and convergence changes. It is suggested that the Weber fraction for Sc may be an important parameter of visual function which is maintained under changing conditions by alterations in the area over which background energy is summated.3. It has been shown that, for stimulus areas up to at least 1 log unit greater than Sc, all the summation curves from 5 to 55 degrees from fixation can be superimposed by simple displacement along the log area axis. For loci closer together, the superimposition has been shown for larger ranges of areas beyond Sc. This suggests that, so far as spatial summation is concerned, changes in locus serve only to change the spatial scale of the visual system.4. Comparisons have been made between the area of Sc at various loci and the sizes of the central regions of the receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells determined electrophysiologically in the primate.