Uncomfortable images produce non-sparse responses in a model of primary visual cortex

Hibbard, Paul B.; O’Hare, Louise

doi:10.1098/rsos.140535

Cited by 41 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Individuals who are particularly susceptible to discomfort exhibit an abnormally large haemodynamic response 8, 9. The large haemodynamic response is consistent with neural models that show a larger neural response to these stimuli, one in which the sparseness of firing within the network is reduced, suggesting an inefficient cortical processing of uncomfortable stimuli 10 . This interpretation is in turn consistent with evidence that the mathematical properties of uncomfortable stimuli differ from those of natural scenes 11, 12, 13, 14.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress)

Evans

Allen

Wilkins

2017

Journal of Optometry

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PurposeVisual stress (VS) is characterised by symptoms of visual perceptual distortions and eyestrain when viewing text, symptoms that are alleviated by individually prescribed coloured filters. A recent review supports the existence of VS and its treatment, but noted that controversy remains, in part due to inconsistencies in the diagnosis of the condition. The present paper reviews the diagnostic criteria for VS in the literature and reports a Delphi analysis of the criteria currently used in clinical practice.MethodsTwenty-six eyecare practitioners were invited to participate in a Delphi study. They were selected because they were frequent prescribers of precision tinted lenses. In the first round they were sent a list of the indicators for which there is literature to suggest a relevance in the diagnosis of VS. The practitioners were invited to rank the indicators and add any additional criteria they use in diagnosis. In the second round a revised list was circulated, including items added from the responses in the first round.ResultsThe respondents included optometrists, orthoptists and opticians. In the first round the response rate was 85%. Ninety-one percent of those who participated in the first round also responded in the second round. Strong indicators in the second round included the symptom of words moving when reading, voluntary use of an overlay for a prolonged period, improved performance of ≥15% with an overlay on the Wilkins Rate of Reading test, and an abnormally high score on the Pattern Glare Test.ConclusionsThe strongest diagnostic criteria are combined in a diagnostic tool. This is proposed as a guide for clinical practice and further research.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress)

Evans

Allen

Wilkins

2017

Journal of Optometry

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“…It is also consistent with the findings that higher contrast patterns are more uncomfortable (Haigh, Cooper, and Wilkins, 2014) and the associations between migraine and neural activity in primary visual cortex (Huang et al, 2003). This account would predict that 1/ f spectra should produce weaker or more efficient neural responses, and as noted this has been predicted in computational models (Hibbard and O’Hare, 2015). Surprisingly however, two recent fMRI studies have instead found stronger BOLD responses for 1/ f patterns compared to steeper or shallower spectra, albeit for patterns with moderate contrast of 30% (Isherwood, Schira, and Spehar, 2017; Tregillus et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…The discomfort from unnatural images might therefore result because they lead to inefficient coding or overstimulation (Fernandez and Wilkins, 2008; Juricevic et al, 2010). Consistent with this, Hibbard and O’Hare (2015) and Penacchio et al (2015) used computational models of primary visual cortex (V1) and showed that uncomfortable images which do not contain the 1/ f structure lead to a non-sparse distribution of neural firing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…As noted in the Introduction, one mechanistic account of visual discomfort is that it arises from overstimulation or increased neural activity (Fernandez and Wilkins, 2008; Hibbard and O’Hare, 2015; Juricevic et al, 2010). This is consistent with the findings that discomfort for single spatial or temporal frequencies is greatest for the frequencies that the visual system is most sensitive to.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visual discomfort and flicker

et al. 2017

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Flickering lights can be uncomfortable to look at and can induce seizures in observers with photosensitive epilepsy. However, the temporal characteristics contributing to these effects are not fully known. In the spatial domain, one identified source of visual discomfort is when images have Fourier amplitude spectra that deviate from the natural (~1/frequency, 1/f) statistical characteristics of natural scenes, especially if they contain excess energy at the medium frequencies at which the visual system is most sensitive. We tested for analogous effects in the temporal domain, manipulating both the amplitude and phase spectra of the flicker. Participants judged the relative discomfort of temporal luminance variations in a pair of uniform 17° fields with different temporal modulations. In general, discomfort increased with deviations from natural amplitude spectra, particularly those with excess energy at medium frequencies or biased toward sharper spectra. These ratings of discomfort were also consistent with ratings of how natural the modulations appeared. However, the temporal discomfort judgments were also strongly affected by the phase spectra of the flicker, with fixed vs. random spectra producing very different responses. This was not due to the perceived regularity or predictability of the flicker, but could arise from a number of other potential factors. Our findings suggest that, like spatial patterns, visual discomfort in time-varying patterns depends in part on how similar they are to the amplitude spectra of temporal variations in the natural visual environment, but also point to the critical role of the phase spectrum in the perceived discomfort of flicker.

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“…9 The defining characteristic of this sparse response is that few neurons are active while many are inactive, thereby reducing metabolic demand. Hibbard and O'Hare 10 have used a computational model of visual area V1 to show that uncomfortable stimuli such as striped patterns, which are rare in nature and do not conform to a 1/f structure, result in an excess of 'neural activity' and a non-sparse distribution of 'neural' firing.…”

Section: Neural Computationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A physiological basis for visual discomfort: Application in lighting design

Wilkins

2015

Lighting Research & Technology

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Visual discomfort occurs when the statistics of the retinal image depart from those of natural scenes, particularly in respect of an excess energy at spatial frequencies close to 3 cycles/degree. Computer models suggest that uncomfortable stimuli are processed with a larger and less sparse neural response. Uncomfortable stimuli usually evoke a relatively large oxygenation of the visual cortex of the brain, consistent with inefficient neural encoding. The discomfort may be homeostatic. The neural computation that sustains sight is therefore likely to be more complex when the visual scene is spatially periodic, when the colour contrast is high or when saccadic suppression is impaired by flicker that is too rapid to be seen.

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Uncomfortable images produce non-sparse responses in a model of primary visual cortex

Cited by 41 publications

References 34 publications

A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress)

A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress)

Visual discomfort and flicker

A physiological basis for visual discomfort: Application in lighting design

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