Retinal ganglion-cell density and receptive-field size as determinants of photopic flicker sensitivity across the human visual field.

Abstract

At 1, 10, and 50 Hz, photopic flicker sensitivity to a nonpatterned stimulus of constant area and luminance with a small equiluminous surround tended to decrease when eccentricity increased from 0 to 70 deg. The decrease was steeper for lower flicker frequencies. When the stimulus and surround were M scaled by magnifying them in inverse proportion to retinal ganglion-cell sampling density, flicker sensitivity tended to increase with eccentricity. The increase was steeper for higher flicker frequencies. When the stimulus and surround were F scaled by reducing their average luminance in inverse proportion to Ricco's area, flicker sensitivity again decreased with increasing eccentricity, but now the decrease was steeper for higher flicker frequencies. When the stimulus and surround were MF scaled, flicker sensitivity became independent of eccentricity at all flicker rates tested.