The pupil's response to short wavelength cone stimulation

Abstract

Using i.r. pupillometry, we measured the response of the pupil to tritanopic metamers alternating at 0.94 Hz. These are lights that differentially stimulate only the short wavelength (S) sensitive cones. We find a response at the alternation frequency for 5 of 7 observers. This shows, for the 5 observers, that S cone signals can influence pupil size, probably via the traditional retinotectal light reflex pathway. Changing the radiance of just one of the alternating pair of lights causes the two lights to differ in their total M + L cone stimulation. The pupil's response to this imbalance can antagonize its response to S cone stimulation. By this procedure we find that imbalances in M + L cone stimulation of less than 0.3 log 10 unit offset the pupil's response to S cone stimulation of more than 0.8 log 10 unit. This suggests that afferent pupillary signals from S cones are weak relative to those from M + L cones.