Filling-in of the foveal blue scotoma

Vision Res. 2001 Oct;41(23):2961-7. doi: 10.1016/s0042-6989(01)00178-x.

Abstract

The blue-blindness (tritanopia) of the human foveola normally goes unnoticed but can be directly visualized by having observers view a flickering, monochromatic, short-wavelength field. The blue scotoma appears as a tiny dark spot in central vision, the visibility of which depends upon the wavelength of the field and the temporal frequency of modulation. Comparisons of fading times as a function of flicker frequency for the blue scotoma, foveal afterimages and optically stabilized images indicate a common time course, consistent with the hypothesis that perceptual filling-in of the foveal blue scotoma reflects the operation of neural processes similar to those involved in fading and regeneration of stabilized images.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Afterimage / physiology
  • Flicker Fusion
  • Humans
  • Optic Disk / physiology*
  • Perceptual Closure / physiology*