Are visual peripheries forever young?

Kalina Burnat

doi:10.1155/2015/307929

Abstract

The paper presents a concept of lifelong plasticity of peripheral vision. Central vision processing is accepted as critical and irreplaceable for normal perception in humans. While peripheral processing chiefly carries information about motion stimuli features and redirects foveal attention to new objects, it can also take over functions typical for central vision. Here I review the data showing the plasticity of peripheral vision found in functional, developmental, and comparative studies. Even though it is well established that afferent projections from central and peripheral retinal regions are not established simultaneously during early postnatal life, central vision is commonly used as a general model of development of the visual system. Based on clinical studies and visually deprived animal models, I describe how central and peripheral visual field representations separately rely on early visual experience. Peripheral visual processing (motion) is more affected by binocular visual deprivation than central visual processing (spatial resolution). In addition, our own experimental findings show the possible recruitment of coarse peripheral vision for fine spatial analysis. Accordingly, I hypothesize that the balance between central and peripheral visual processing, established in the course of development, is susceptible to plastic adaptations during the entire life span, with peripheral vision capable of taking over central processing.

Highlights

For decades most of the visual research has been focused on high acuity central vision, and as a result the role of peripheral vision is underestimated (e.g., [1,2,3,4])
Most of the visual plasticity models are based on results solely deriving from the central visual field, whereas peripheral vision covers a large part of the visual field and actively participates in attentional selection of visual space to be processed by central vision
We investigated the influence of binocular pattern deprivation on the development of central and peripheral visual field representation in the primary visual cortex in cats by measuring the expression pattern of genes regulated by neuronal activity

Summary

Introduction

For decades most of the visual research has been focused on high acuity central vision, and as a result the role of peripheral vision is underestimated (e.g., [1,2,3,4]). Extracting information regarding the peripheral visual system from the literature is not always straightforward, especially since published investigations are not typically focused on comparisons between the peripheral and central visual system. Instead, they either concentrate on separate ganglion cell classes or use retinal regional divisions: temporal regions comprising fovea and nasal retinal regions and their projection zones (see Figure 1 for a comparison of nasal and temporal visual field projection zones in primates). Higher visual areas are arranged with central-to-peripheral bias, where regions discriminating objects with high acuity load such as faces are stimulated by central locations and regions involved in discrimination of crude, large objects such as buildings are stimulated by peripheral locations [11]

The Functional Significance of Peripheral Visual Processing

Development of Peripheral Processing Takes More Time

Early Binocular Pattern Deprivation

Peripheral Vision Can Be Recruited for Fine Vision Analysis

Findings

Conclusions