Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Visual system neural responses to laser exposure from local q-switched pulses and extended source c-w speckle patterns. Final report, 1 December 1983-30 December 1985

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5065197
This report reviews retinal damage from exposure to short-pulse laser energy without any visual perception. A series of experiments were conducted in cats to test retinal function after such laser exposures using neurophysiological recordings from retinal ganglion cells. The receptive fields of the selected ganglion cells were in the area of laser exposure or immediately adjacent to it. Microsensor monitoring of retinal metabolic stability including pH and O/sub 2/ levels following laser exposure was also attempted. Vigorous neural responses have been recorded from retinal ganglion cells following suprathreshold lesion producing laser exposures within the Ganglion cell receptive fields, or from nerve fibers at the optic disc. The disc recordings always showed responses from ganglion cells following suprathreshold stimulation levels sufficient to cause retinal lesions within the receptive field or in closely adjacent areas of the retina.
Research Organization:
Duke Univ., Durham, NC (USA). Medical Center
OSTI ID:
5065197
Report Number(s):
AD-A-186636/7/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English