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Contrast sensitivity in one-eyed subjects

J J Nicholas¹, C A Heywood, A Cowey

¹Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, England.

Vision Research

|January 1, 1996

Summary

Early removal of one eye in humans leads to enhanced vision in the remaining eye. This supernormal contrast sensitivity improves with earlier enucleation, impacting a wider range of spatial frequencies.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Early monocular form deprivation and enucleation impact the developing mammalian visual system.
Evidence suggests the remaining eye may achieve supernormal performance after early visual deprivation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the hypothesis of supernormal visual performance in humans with early monocular enucleation.
To quantify achromatic contrast sensitivity in subjects with a history of early eye removal.

Main Methods:

Achromatic contrast sensitivity was measured in the remaining eye of subjects who underwent early monocular enucleation.
Performance was compared to normal subjects under monocular and binocular viewing conditions.
The age of enucleation was varied to assess its impact on visual function.

Main Results:

Subjects with early monocular enucleation exhibited significantly higher contrast sensitivity than the better eye of control subjects.
Earlier enucleation correlated with enhanced contrast sensitivity at lower spatial frequencies.
A broader range of spatial frequencies showed supernormal contrast sensitivity with earlier eye removal.

Conclusions:

Early monocular enucleation in humans can result in enhanced contrast sensitivity in the remaining eye.
The degree of visual enhancement is dependent on the timing of enucleation during early development.
Findings support the concept of visual system plasticity and compensatory mechanisms following early visual deprivation.

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