Asymmetries in the contributions of On- and Off-mechanisms to the ERG signal

ABSTRACT

ERG responses were recorded to rapid-on and rapid-off L- and M-cone isolating sawtooth stimuli of different cone contrasts. In addition, the responses were recorded to simultaneous in-phase stimulation of the L- and M-cones at equal cone contrast. Linear responses to mirror imaged rapid-on and rapid-off sawtooth stimuli are also mirror imaged. By adding on- and off-responses, linear response components will cancel and nonlinearities will remain. Because nonlinearities that occur at a certain stage of visual processing will influence subsequent stages, linear response components will probably have an outer retinal origin and nonlinearities probably originate mainly in the inner (post-receptoral) retina...