Brain, Vol. 117, No. 4, 767-773, 1994
© 1994 Guarantors of Brain
research-article |
Optic neuritis
Differential losses of luminance and chromatic function near a scotoma


1Department of Postgraduate MedicineKeele University Staffordshire 2Department of Communication and Neuroscience, Keele University Staffordshire 3Department of Neurology, North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary UK
Correspondence to:
0Correspondence to: Professor D. H. Foster, Department of Communication and Neuroscience, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
Visual sensitivity to achromatic and chromatic stimulus flashes was determined at sites just inside, on the boundary and just outside scotomata in 11 patients with recovered optic neuritis. The colour of the flashes and the size of the steady background on which they appeared were such that detection was more likely to be mediated by either the large-diameter, magnocellular fibres or the small-diameter, parvocellular fibres of the anterior visual pathway. The spacing of the test sites ranged from 0.5° to 4° visual angle, depending on the shape and location of the scotomata. The greatest differences in sensitivity were between sites just inside and just outside the scotomata and in response to achromatic stimuli more likely to involve the magnocellular fibres. This effect may be due to the size of magnocellular fibres or to their relatively smaller numbers.
optic neuritis; demyelination; luminance and chromatic thresholds; scotomata; magnocellular; parvocellular
.
Received May 24, 1993. Revised January 27, 1994. Accepted March 4, 1994.
*Present address: Dr M. L. Phillips, The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK
Present address: Dr W. P. Honan, Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology, Birmingham, and University Department of Clinical Neurology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B67 7JX, UK
Present address: Dr G. K. Edgar, Sowerby Research Centre, British Aerospace PLC, FPC 267, PO Box 5, Filton, Bristol BS12 7QW, UK
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
S Rinalduzzi, A Brusa, and S J Jones Variation of visual evoked potential delay to stimulation of central, nasal, and temporal regions of the macula in optic neuritis J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, January 1, 2001; 70(1): 28 - 35. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. A. Caruana, M. B. Davies, S. J. M. Weatherby, R. Williams, N. Haq, D. H. Foster, and C. P. Hawkins Correlation of MRI lesions with visual psychophysical deficit in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis Brain, July 1, 2000; 123(7): 1471 - 1480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N Accornero, S Rinalduzzi, M Capozza, E Millefiorini, G C Filligoi, and L Capitanio Computerized color perimetry in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 1998; 4(2): 79 - 84. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||


