Abstract
The processing of human pattern detection and recognition requires integrating visual information across space. In the human visual system, the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the output neurons of the retina, and human pattern recognition is built from the neural representation of the RGCs. Here I will present our recent work demonstrating how a loss of RGCs due to either normal aging or pathological conditions such as glaucoma undermines pattern recognition and alters spatial integration properties. I will further highlight the role of the RGCs in determining the spatial extent over which visual inputs are combined. Our findings suggest that understanding the structural and functional integrity of RGCs would help not only better characterize visual deficits associated eye disorders, but also understand the front-end sensory requirements for human pattern recognition.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2018