Summary
This thesis demonstrates that dynamic pupillometry can serve as an objective, non-invasive clinical tool for detecting visual field deficiencies across multiple retinal and optic nerve pathologies, with encouraging discrimination between patient and control populations. For lighting designers and clinicians, the finding that pupillary dynamics reflect cognitive/attentional load without impairing visual performance suggests pupillometry could be a practical proxy measure for monitoring occupant cognitive state in lit environments.
Key Findings
- Pupil size modulations during visual exploration (driven by retinal location heterogeneity and cognitive load) did not impair visual discrimination performance for spatial frequency tasks.
- Pupillary dynamics linked to cognitive load were identified as a reliable marker of memory encoding.
- Novel pupillometric perimetry tests (using endogenous pupil oscillation cycles and frequency tagging) showed encouraging ability to discriminate patients with Stargardt's disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy from healthy controls.
- New tests were designed to minimize sympathetic (cognitive) modulation interference, improving specificity for retinal/optic nerve dysfunction detection.
Categories
The Science of Light: Investigates pupillary light reflex dynamics including retinal location heterogeneity, melanopsin-driven responses, and frequency tagging methods relevant to understanding photoreceptor function.
Eye Health & Vision: Develops novel dynamic pupillometry tests for detecting visual field defects in retinal and optic nerve pathologies including Stargardt's disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.
Author(s)
S Ajasse
Publication Year
2019
Number of Citations
3
Related Publications
The Science of Light
- Phototransduction by retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock
- Color appearance models
- The mammalian circadian timing system: organization and coordination of central and peripheral clocks
- Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice
- Melanopsin is required for non-image-forming photic responses in blind mice
Eye Health & Vision
- Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice
- Genetic reactivation of cone photoreceptors restores visual responses in retinitis pigmentosa
- Melanopsin and rod–cone photoreceptors play different roles in mediating pupillary light responses during exposure to continuous light in humans
- Characteristic patterns of dendritic remodeling in early-stage glaucoma: evidence from genetically identified retinal ganglion cell types
- Intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin retinal ganglion cell contributions to the pupillary light reflex and circadian rhythm