title: Scotopic threshold responses to infrared irradiation in cats.
abstract: Infrared (IR) irradiation is frequently used in ophthalmological diagnosis and treatment. It has been used to selectively stimulate photodiode-based retinal prostheses to prove their function. Data concerning the natural IR-sensitivity of the retina are contradictory. In our experiments in dark-adapted cats an IR-laser (826 nm) and IR emitting diodes (875 nm) elicited clear scotopic threshold responses. Comparison of the two lasers (IR and a visible laser at 670 nm) using Lambs template and our experimental data revealed very similar differences in retinal sensitivity (4.28 and 3.94+/-0.29 log units, respectively). The fact that the cat retina is sensitive to IR-irradiation under certain conditions has important implications in interpreting the results from retinal prostheses and rewards further attention in its use in many ophthalmological applications.
authors.affiliation: University-Eye-Hospital, Schleichstrasse 12-16, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. gekeler@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gekeler
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blatsios
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Eberhart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zrenner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000523:psychology*; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004596:Electroretinography; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007834:Lasers; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012607:Scotoma; D012684:Sensory Thresholds