We’re excited to highlight this study led by Yiming Shi et al., titled “Non-image-forming photoreceptors improve visual orientation selectivity and image perception”. Using a 64 channel NeuroNexus electrode (A1x64-Poly2-6mm-23s-160-A64), they investigated how non-image-forming photoreceptors, such as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, influence visual processing in the brain.
They discovered that these NIF photoreceptors enhance orientation selectivity and overall image perception by modulating neural activity in the visual cortex. This reveals a previously unrecognized contribution of ipRGCs to image-forming vision, highlighting their role in enhancing orientation selectivity and overall image perception. These findings suggest that ipRGCs form a visual channel that facilitates the processing of orientation features, thereby improving visual perception in both mice and humans.
