Journal article
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells
Journal of neuro-ophthalmology, Vol.27(3), pp.195-204
09/2007
DOI: 10.1097/wno.0b013e31814b1df9
PMID: 17895821
Abstract
The recent discovery of melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells that mediate the pupil light reflex has provided new insights into how the pupil responds to different properties of light. These ganglion cells are unique in their ability to transduce light into electrical energy. There are parallels between the electrophysiologic behavior of these cells in primates and the clinical pupil response to chromatic stimuli. Under photopic conditions, a red light stimulus produces a pupil constriction mediated predominantly by cone input via trans-synaptic activation of melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells, whereas a blue light stimulus at high intensity produces a steady-state pupil constriction mediated primarily by direct intrinsic photoactivation of the melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells. Preliminary data in humans suggest that under photopic conditions, cones primarily drive the transient phase of the pupil light reflex, whereas intrinsic activation of the melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells contributes heavily to sustained pupil constriction. The use of chromatic light stimuli to elicit transient and sustained pupil light reflexes may become a clinical pupil test that allows differentiation between disorders affecting photoreceptors and those affecting retinal ganglion cells.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells
- Creators
- Aki Kawasaki - Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin and University Eye Clinics of Lausanne, Avenue de France 15, Lausanne 1004, Switzerland. aki.kawasaki@ophtal.ud.chRandy H Kardon
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of neuro-ophthalmology, Vol.27(3), pp.195-204
- DOI
- 10.1097/wno.0b013e31814b1df9
- PMID
- 17895821
- NLM abbreviation
- J Neuroophthalmol
- ISSN
- 1070-8022
- eISSN
- 1536-5166
- Publisher
- United States
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/2007
- Academic Unit
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983979938102771
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