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Human flicker electroretinography using different temporal modulations at mesopic and photopic luminance levels

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Abstract

Background

Electroretinographic measurement instruments allow the variation of several stimulation parameters enabling to study a wide range of retinal processes. The purpose of the present study was to measure human flicker electroretinograms (ERGs) varying temporal modulation, temporal frequency and mean luminance in the photopic and higher mesopic ranges where the change from cone to rod dominance occurs.

Methods

Fourteen healthy subjects (mean age = 31 ± 6) participated in this study. ERG recordings were performed with the RetiPort system (Roland Consult, Germany). The stimuli were ON and OFF sawtooth waves, square wave and sine wave. The temporal frequencies were 4 and 8 Hz. The mean luminance varied from 1 to 60 cd/m2.

Results

The results confirmed the possibility to distinguish between rod- and cone-dominated retinal responses when using the flicker ERG at different temporal frequencies and luminances. We have also evaluated the responses at luminance levels at which the transition between rod- and cone-dominated responses occurs. This transition between rod- and cone-dominated flicker ERG responses is indicated by a significant change in the response characteristics between 4 and 8 cd/m2 (between 200 and 400 phot Td).

Conclusions

The findings on the transition between rod- and cone-dominated ERGs along with the demonstration of ERG responses to different temporal flicker modulations might be informative for the electrophysiologists when setting up the stimulus at mesopic and photopic luminance levels.

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Acknowledgments

Research supported by FAPESP (Projeto Temático 2008/58731-2 e Projetos Regulares 2012/01115-3/2012/51299-3). BVN had a postdoctoral (09/54292-7), and MTSB had a doctoral (07/55125-1) FAPESP fellowship. BVN had a postdoctoral CNPq fellowship (162576/2013-7), and CMGM had a doctoral CAPES fellowship. DFV is a CNPq 1A Research Fellow. JK is supported by DFG (German Research Foundation) Grant KR1317/13-1 and by BMBF Grant 01DN12012.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience and Behavior, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Balázs Vince Nagy, Mirella Telles Salgueiro Barboni, Cristiane Maria Gomes Martins, Marcelo Fernandes da Costa & Dora Fix Ventura

  2. Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721, 05508-030, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Balázs Vince Nagy, Mirella Telles Salgueiro Barboni, Cristiane Maria Gomes Martins, Marcelo Fernandes da Costa & Dora Fix Ventura

  3. Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Engineering Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary

    Balázs Vince Nagy

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany

    Jan Kremers

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  1. Balázs Vince Nagy
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  2. Mirella Telles Salgueiro Barboni
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  3. Cristiane Maria Gomes Martins
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  5. Jan Kremers
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Correspondence to Balázs Vince Nagy.

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Nagy, B.V., Barboni, M.T.S., Martins, C.M.G. et al. Human flicker electroretinography using different temporal modulations at mesopic and photopic luminance levels. Doc Ophthalmol 129, 129–138 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-014-9452-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10633-014-9452-z

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