title: Peripheral resolution and contrast sensitivity: Effects of stimulus drift.
abstract: Optimal temporal modulation of the stimulus can improve foveal contrast sensitivity. This study evaluates the characteristics of the peripheral spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity function in normal-sighted subjects. The purpose is to identify a temporal modulation that can potentially improve the remaining peripheral visual function in subjects with central visual field loss. High contrast resolution cut-off for grating stimuli with four temporal frequencies (0, 5, 10 and 15Hz drift) was first evaluated in the 10° nasal visual field. Resolution contrast sensitivity for all temporal frequencies was then measured at four spatial frequencies between 0.5 cycles per degree (cpd) and the measured stationary cut-off. All measurements were performed with eccentric optical correction. Similar to foveal vision, peripheral contrast sensitivity is highest for a combination of low spatial frequency and 5-10Hz drift. At higher spatial frequencies, there was a decrease in contrast sensitivity with 15Hz drift. Despite this decrease, the resolution cut-off did not vary largely between the different temporal frequencies tested. Additional measurements of contrast sensitivity at 0.5 cpd and resolution cut-off for stationary (0Hz) and 7.5Hz stimuli performed at 10, 15, 20 and 25° in the nasal visual field also showed the same characteristics across eccentricities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: abinaya.venkataraman@biox.kth.se.
authors.forename: Abinaya Priya
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Venkataraman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Optometry, Linnæus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Unsbo
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lundström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Contrast sensitivity; Drifting gratings; Peripheral vision; Spatial frequency; Temporal frequency