Colloquium: Mayukh Sarkar (C&O)

The effect of photobleaching on elevating the threshold of detection and saccadic reaction time (SRT) has already been established. This study investigated the potential implementation of photobleaching and dark adaptation to recreate glaucoma-like SRTs. Results showed that photobleaching successfully increased SRTs for stimuli within the bleaching zone while also severely reducing the ability to detect targets. The elevated SRTs obtained from the study matched those observed in mild glaucoma cases, indicating that photobleaching and dark adaptation are valid methods for obtaining glaucoma-like SRTs. Furthermore, the effects of photobleaching were found to be highly localized, with the impact primarily observed within the bleaching zone. Attempts to replicate the localized effects of glaucoma using discrete photobleaching were partially successful, with elevated SRTs observed, but the effect is directly related to the total area bleached. These findings provide important insights into the relationship between photobleaching, dark adaptation, and saccadic response, as well as their potential implications for studying glaucoma.

Supervisor: Dr. ir. M.M. van Paasen