title: Asymmetrical growth of the photopic hill during the light adaptation effect.
abstract: In response to progressively stronger flashes delivered against a rod saturating background light, the amplitude of the photopic ERG b-wave first increases, reaches a maximal value (V (max)) and then decreases gradually to a plateau where the amplitude of the b-wave equals that of the a-wave, a phenomenon known as the photopic hill (PH). The purpose of this study was to investigate how the PH grew during the course of the light adaptation (LA) process that follows a period of dark adaptation (DA): the so-called light adaptation effect (LAE). Photopic ERG (time-integrated) luminance-response (LR) functions were obtained prior to (control-fully light adapted) and at 0, 5 and 10 min of LA following a 30-min period of DA. A mathematical model combining a Gaussian and a logistic growth function, suggested to reflect the OFF and ON retinal contribution to the PH respectively, was fitted to the LR functions thus obtained. Our results indicate that the magnitude of the cone ERG LAE is modulated by the stimulus luminance, with b-wave enhancements being maximal for luminance levels that result in the descent of the PH. The Gaussian function grew significantly with LA while the logistic growth function remained basically unchanged. Our findings would therefore suggest that the LAE reflects primarily an increase in the retinal OFF response during LA.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology and Neurology-Neurosurgery, Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute, McGill University, 2300 Tupper Street, Montréal, QC, H3H 1P3, Canada.
authors: Marie-Lou
authors: ML
authors: Garon
authors: Marianne
authors: M
authors: Rufiange
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Hamilton
authors: Daphne L
authors: DL
authors: McCulloch
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Lachapelle
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D055253:Color Vision / Q000502:physiology*; D003623:Dark Adaptation; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D016011:Normal Distribution; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000528:radiation effects; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000528:radiation effects; D055815:Young Adult