Faculty Bibliography

The P300 cortical evoked potential was compared to the P100 wave of the visual evoked potential by means of appearance/disappearance gratings. The spatial frequency of the novel stimulus was varied to compare the effect of task sensory difficulty on both P100 and P300 potentials. The P100 showed a steady increase in latency with the spatial frequency of the uncommon stimulus, and a degree of amplitude tuning consistent with the contrast sensitivity function. The P300 showed marked changes in both amplitude and latency dependent almost wholly on the proximity of the uncommon stimulus spatial frequency to that of the common stimulus. Motor reaction time showed elements of both the P100 and P300 response patterns. The results are consistent with a model in which, after visual information arrives at the visual cortex, processing is parallel and interdependent. In this model, the amplitude and latency of the P100 cortical evoked potential are governed solely by properties intrinsic to the stimulus, whereas the amplitude and latency of the P300 are functions of the degree of stimulus mismatch

The focal electroretinogram (FERG) was used to examine temporal frequency tuning at the outer retinal level in humans by measuring temporal modulation thresholds. Changes in FERG thresholds as a function of ambient light level were compared to temporal modulation thresholds obtained psychophysically using the same stimuli. At lower temporal frequencies, both FERG and psychophysical thresholds changed sensitivity proportional to the mean illuminance level. At higher illuminance levels, both threshold measures were relatively independent of illuminance. The comparison of the FERG to the behavioral data suggest that most of the adaptation-dependent changes in temporal sensitivity in humans occur at the level of the photoreceptor complex

Previous studies of early diabetic retinopathy have shown that oscillatory potential (OP) amplitudes are reduced in many diabetic patients. OP amplitude is believed to be a more sensitive indicator of the development of future retinopathy than b-wave amplitude of the scotopic electroretinogram (ERG). Because OPs measured to a bright white flash reflect both rod and cone system activity, it is important to compare OP amplitudes to photopic ERG measures as well as scotopic measures in early diabetic retinopathy. In this study, OPs and ERG responses were measured under photopic and scotopic conditions in a group of diabetic patients. Although OPs were reduced in amplitude in the diabetic group, several other parameters of the scotopic and photopic b-waves were impaired. The results indicate that b-wave activity may indicate retinal changes in early diabetic retinopathy in the same manner as the OPs

Eight patients with malignant gliomas were monitored with clinical examinations to study the effects of the combination of intravenous administration of carmustine and infraophthalmic intra-arterial administration of cisplatin on retinal and optic nerve function. Three patients developed a severe macular retinal pigment abnormality in the eye ipsilateral to the intra-arterial infusion. Electrophysiologic studies disclosed no evidence of a generalized disturbance in the photoreceptors, middle retinal layers, or retinal pigment epithelium. In contrast to previous studies involving patients whose visual loss was caused by vaso-occlusive lesions in the retina and optic nerve, our study involved patients with clinically significant maculopathy, that was not vascular in origin and that developed after treatment with carmustine and cisplatin. We suggest that the deficit may result from a localized retinal pigment disturbance in the macula

Human cortical visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were retrieved in real time (without averaging). The stimuli were sinusoidal gratings whose contrast was temporally modulated about some mean value. Electrophysiologically determined contrast modulation thresholds were measured at standing contrast over the range from 2.5% to 50%, defining an increment threshold function. Increment threshold functions were obtained under two different spatio-temporal stimulus conditions identified as 'sustained' (4 c/deg grating modulated at 1.5 Hz) and 'transient' (1 c/deg grating modulated at 20 Hz). Under each of these conditions, threshold responses were retrieved at both the fundamental and second harmonic of the contrast modulation frequency. Under 'sustained' conditions log increment threshold responses and the fundamental the second harmonic of the modulation frequency were similar to those at the fundamental except for a saturation effect (i.e., above a mean contrast of 25% there was little further reduction in modulation sensitivity). There was no contrast gain control under 'transient' stimulus conditions. In other words, the same absolute amount of contrast change produced threshold responses for all mean levels up to 25%. This was true at both the fundamental and second harmonic of the modulation frequency. Stimulus differences produce striking differences in the electrophysiologically inferred increment threshold function for grating contrast, but fundamental and second harmonic evoked responses reflect processes with similar increment threshold behavior

Patterns of refuge use and daily movement were recorded for Sesarma cinereum over two monthly observation periods. A total of 1,588 crabs were marked and released in this study and of these 576 were recaptured. Most individuals established relatively permanent shelters immediately after release and the site of each crab's shelter changed little throughout the study period. The choice of shelter location did not reflect a return to the home area since there was no correlation with the original capture area. Although a few individuals were observed to undertake long migrations along the marsh edge, most animals were consistently observed within 3 m of their refuge. The terrestrial habitat, patchy availability of shelters, and daily foraging combine to determine the nature of refuge use