CORTICAL COMPONENTS OF THE WESTHEIMER FUNCTION

The Westheimer function in human cone vision was measured in normal ob servers under dichoptic conditions and in observers with naturally acq uired amblyopia. Results show interocular transfer of both desensitiza tion and sensitization under either ''sustained'' or ''transient'' sti mulus conditions if binocular rivalry is eliminated. The spatial sensi tization branches of the amblyopic functions are considerably broadene d as compared with those of the non-amblyopic function. Our results ar e consistent with cortical components for the Westheimer function whic h probably reflect the behavior of cortical spatial filters. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.