Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
18
pubmed:dateCreated
1994-3-1
pubmed:abstractText
We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0042-6989
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
33
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2773-88
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1993
pubmed:articleTitle
Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Vision Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, England.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't