Multiple mechanisms for contrast adaptation in the retina.
The retina adapts to average light intensity but also to the range of light intensities (contrast). A study by Baccus and Meister, in this issue of Neuron, identifies three ways that ganglion cells and interneurons adapt to high contrast: shorten integration time, reduce gain, and depolarize. Only the depolarization decays, over tens of seconds.
Demb
Jonathan B
JB
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors