Spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity and visual field locus

Abstract

Contrast sensitivity, measured as a function of retinal eccentricity for stimuli differing in temporal and spatial frequency (0.25-9 c/deg; 0-16 Hz, 0-12 degrees eccentricity), was maximum at the fovea and declined linearly with eccentricity. The slope of the decrease depended upon spatial but not temporal frequency. Contrast sensitivity for drifting gratings was approximately twice that for sinusoidal counterphase gratings at all eccentricities. For central viewing log contrast sensitivity increased with grating length. The shape of this function was systematically related to spatial frequency but independent of temporal frequency, indicating that the visual field is homogeneous in sensitivity for change in contrast over time. The implications of these findings for mechanisms of threshold vision in fovea and periphery are discussed.