Low spatial-frequency channels in human vision: adaptation and masking

Previous work showed that adapting to low spatial frequency gratings (below 1.5 cycles/degree) may cause maximal spatial adaptation at a significantly higher spatial frequency. It has been suggested that there are no adaptable spatial-frequency channels tuned to below 1.5 c/deg. Contrary to this view, we found that adaptation and masking with low spatial frequencies (0.12-1.0 c/deg) produced maximal threshold elevations when the test patterns were the same spatial frequency as the adapting or masking pattern. These results were obtained using test patterns that turned on and off gradually or sharply. The results suggest that there are form mechanisms optimally sensitive to very low spatial frequencies. Adaptation was selective to position (phase) and orientation at low spatial frequencies; masking was observed to be selective to orientation at a spatial frequency as low as 0.2 c/deg. A clear dichotomy between transient, motion channels and sustained, form channels at low spatial and temporal frequencies may represent an unrealistic simplification. There may exist directionally-selective motion mechanisms sensitive to very slow motion, and these may play a role in the discrimination of form. The discussion considers the bandwidths of the low spatial frequency mechanisms.