Assessments of visual function
Semo M., Gias C., Vugler A., Coffey PJ.
The visual system is the part of the central nervous system that detects light. It is sub-served by the -photoreceptor detectors within the eye, and this information allows creatures to build a representation of the visual world as well as regulating a whole range of subconscious physiological processes. Here we describe seven techniques to probe the functionality of the visual system in rodents. They encompass direct electrical recordings and functional anatomy, as well as reflexes and behavioural response outputs of light detection. Used in concert, these techniques can enable the assessment of which photoreceptor classes are functioning as well as to indicate whether light information is processed at a sub-cortical and/or cortical level. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.