We examined the contributions of rhodopsin and melanopsin to human brightness estimation under dim lighting. Absolute brightness magnitudes were estimated for full-field, rhodopsin-, or melanopsin-equated narrowband lights (${\lambda _{\rm max}}:\;{462}$λmax:462, 499, 525 nm). Our data show that in scotopic illumination ($ - {5.1}$-5.1 to $ - {3.9}\;{\log}\;\unicode{x00B5} {\rm Watts}\cdot{\rm cm}^{ - 2}$-3.9logµWatts⋅cm-2), the perceptual brightness estimates of rhodopic irradiance-equated conditions are independent of their corresponding melanopic irradiance, whereas brightness estimates with melanopic irradiance-equated conditions increase with increasing rhodopic irradiance. In mesopic illumination ($ - {3.4}$-3.4 to $ - {1.9}\;{\log}\;\unicode{x00B5} {\rm Watts}\cdot{\rm cm}^{ - 2}$-1.9logµWatts⋅cm-2), the brightness estimates with both lighting conditions increase with increasing rhodopic or melanopic irradiances. Rhodopsin activation therefore entirely signals scotopic brightness perception and plateaus in mesopic illumination where intrinsic melanopsin contributions become first evident. We infer that all photoreceptor signals are transmitted to higher visual centers for representing scene brightness in scotopic and mesopic illumination through both conventional and melanopsin ganglion cell pathways.

中文翻译：

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视紫红质和黑色素对人的亮度估计有贡献。

我们检查了视紫红质和黑色素对暗光下人的亮度估计的贡献。估计了全视场，视紫红质或黑视蛋白等效的窄带光的绝对亮度值（$ {\ lambda _ {\ rm max}}：\; {462} $λmax：462，499，525 nm）。我们的数据显示，在暗视照明下（$-{5.1} $-5.1到$-{3.9} \; {\ log} \; \ unicode {x00B5} {\ rm Watts} \ cdot {\ rm cm} ^ {- 2} $-3.9logµWatts·cm-2），等视线辐照度等效条件下的感知亮度估计独立于其相应的黑素体辐照度，而当等黑素体辐照度等效条件下，亮度估计随视紫光辐照度的增加而增加。在介观照明下（$-{3.4} $-3.4到$-{1.9} \; {\ log} \; \ unicode {x00B5} {\ rm Watts} \ cdot {\ rm cm} ^ {-2} $- 1.9logµWatts·cm-2），两种照明条件下的亮度估计值都随着红，黑素辐照度的增加而增加。因此，视紫红质的活化在中视照明中完全暗示暗视亮度感知和高原，在这种情况下，内在的黑视蛋白的作用变得最明显。我们推断所有光感受器信号均通过常规和黑色素神经节细胞途径传递到更高的视觉中心，以表示暗视和中视照明中的场景亮度。