LAUSR

Purpose To record and analyse electroretinograms (ERGs) to luminance stimuli with white noise temporal profiles in mice. White noise stimuli are expected to keep the retina in a physiologically more natural state than, e.g., flashes. The influence of mean luminance (ML) was studied. Methods Electroretinograms to luminance temporal white noise (TWN) modulation (wnERGs) were measured. The white noise stimuli contained all frequencies up to 20 Hz with equal amplitudes and random phases. Responses were recorded at 7 MLs between −0.7 and 1.2 log cd/m2. Impulse response functions (IRFs) were calculated by cross correlating the averaged white noise electroretinogram (wnERG) responses with the stimulus. Amplitudes and latencies of the initial trough and subsequent peak in the IRFs were measured at each ML. Fourier transforms of the IRFs resulted in modulation transfer functions (MTFs). wnERGs were averaged across different animals. They were measured twice and the responses at identical instances in the 1st and 2nd recordings were plotted against each other. The correlation coefficient (r2repr) of the linear regression quantified the reproducibility. The results of the first and second measurement were further averaged. To study the underlying ERG mechanisms, the ERG potentials at the different MLs were plotted against those at the lowest and highest ML. The correlation coefficients (r2ML) were used to quantify their similarities. Results The amplitudes of the initial (a-wave-like) trough of the IRFs increased with increasing ML. The following positive (b-wave-like) peak showed a minimum at −0.4 log cd/m2 above which there was a positive correlation between amplitude and ML. Their latencies decreased monotonously with increasing ML. In none of the IRFs, oscillatory potential (OP)-like components were observed. r2repr values were minimal at a ML of −0.1 log cd/m2, where the MTFs changed from low-pass to band-pass. r2ML values increased and decreased with increasing ML when correlated with responses obtained at the highest or the lowest ML, respectively. Conclusion White noise electroretinograms can be reliably recorded in mice with luminance stimuli. IRFs resemble flash ERGs superficially, but they offer a novel procedure to study retinal physiology. New components can be described in the IRFs. The wnERGs are either rod- or cone-driven with little overlap.