title: Depth-of-focus of the human eye in the near retinal periphery.
abstract: Although the depth-of-focus in the foveal region has been well investigated, knowledge regarding the effect of retinal eccentricity on blur detection and sensitivity is limited. In the present study, the depth-of-focus at the fovea and in the near retinal periphery (0 degrees -8 degrees ) was assessed psychophysically in 7 human subjects using a 5 mm artificial pupil with accommodation paralyzed. The group mean total depth-of-focus progressively increased linearly from 0.89 D at the fovea to 3.51 D at a retinal eccentricity of 8 degrees at the rate of 0.29 D/degree, with response variability (S.E.M.) remaining relatively constant (+/-0.17 D). We speculate that the reduced detection and sensitivity to blur in the near periphery may be attributed to retinal topography, sharpness overconstancy, optical aberrations, and visual attention in peripheral vision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision Sciences, SUNY/State College of Optometry, 33 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, USA. bwang@sunyopt.edu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ciuffreda
mesh_terms: D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011601:Psychophysics; D011680:Pupil / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*