Mapping human visual contrast sensitivity and vision loss across the visual field with model-based fMRI.

Mapping contrast sensitivity across the entire visual field with fMRI reveals reliable patterns even with fixation variability in seven participants.

• Why it matters: Current clinical tests struggle to assess peripheral vision and are limited by fixation demands, especially for patients with unstable gaze or severe vision loss, hindering accurate diagnosis and monitoring.
• What they did: Researchers combined large-field stimulation with variable contrast and spatial frequencies, using either pRF mapping or a retinotopic atlas, to model V1 contrast sensitivity over a 40-degree visual field in seven healthy individuals.
• The result: The method reliably characterized individual differences and remained robust despite eye movements, enabling assessment of vision loss and recovery without strict fixation, thus improving clinical evaluation of peripheral and impaired vision.