OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF RETINAL PHOTORECEPTORS AND THE CAMPBELL EFFECT

In 1958, Campbell observed that certain artificial pupil displacements could considerably change acuity (measured by viewing gratings) while others had very little effect. He sought an explanation of the small retinal contribution to those effects that was consistent with the Sti les-Crawford effect. This paper suggests an explanation that satisfies that requirement using a waveguide model of the retinal cones. We sho w that the waveguiding properties of the receptors make them sensitive to obliquely incident exciting waves and this provides some support f or the hypothesis that both the Stiles-Crawford and Campbell effects a re manifestations of the same underlying waveguide nature of the recep tors. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.