Mapping Color Vision
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Mapping Color Vision

February 21, 2011
Updated retinal readout system can record signals from hundreds of cells simultaneously.

To understand how individual retinal ganglion cells in the eye work together to send signals that the brain interprets as color vision, scientists studied the pattern of connections and signals that occur when a movie is projected on live retinal tissue. The tissue sits on top of a multi-electrode array that detects the signals the cells send to the brain.

In contrast to earlier technology, which utilized a small number of electrodes that could only monitor signals from tens of cells, the retinal readout system allows simultaneous recording of signals from hundreds of cells. These signals are filtered, digitized and recorded, then related to the visual images in the movie. This advanced technology is helping the researchers decipher the code that eyes use to send visual information to the brain.

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