Recent reports indicate that the subjective ability of humans to discriminate between polarization E-vector orientations approaches that of many invertebrates. Here, we show that polarization-modulated patterned stimuli generate an objectively recordable electrophysiological response in humans with normal vision. We investigated visual evoked potential (VEP) and electroretinographic (ERG) responses to checkerboard patterns defined solely by their polarization E-vector orientation alternating between ± 45°. Correcting for multiple comparisons, paired-samples t-tests were conducted to assess the significance of post-stimulus deflections from baseline measures of noise. Using standard check pattern sizes for clinical electrophysiology, and a pattern-reversal protocol, participants showed a VEP response to polarization-modulated patterns (PolVEP) with a prominent and consistent positive component near 150 ms (p < 0.01), followed by more variable negative components near 200 ms and 300 ms. The effect was unrecordable with visible wavelengths >550 nm. Further, pseudo-depolarization negated the responses, while control studies provided confirmatory evidence that the PolVEP response was not the product of luminance artefacts. Polarization-modulated patterns did not elicit a recordable ERG response. The possible origins of the PolVEP signals, and the absence of recordable ERG signals, are discussed. We conclude that evoked cortical responses to polarization-modulated patterns provide an objective measure of foveal function, suitable for both humans and non-human primates with equivalent macular anatomy.

最近的报告表明，人类区分极化E向量方向的主观能力接近许多无脊椎动物的能力。在这里，我们展示了偏振调制图案化刺激在具有正常视力的人类中产生客观可记录的电生理反应。我们研究了视觉诱发电位 (VEP) 和视网膜电图 (ERG) 对仅由极化E定义的棋盘图案的反应-矢量方向在 ± 45° 之间交替。为了校正多重比较，进行了配对样本 t 检验以评估刺激后偏差与噪声基线测量的显着性。使用用于临床电生理学的标准检查模式大小和模式反转协议，参与者表现出对极化调制模式 (PolVEP) 的 VEP 响应，在 150 ms 附近具有显着且一致的正分量（p < 0.01），然后是更多可变的负接近 200 ms 和 300 ms 的分量。在可见光波长 > 550 nm 时无法记录该效果。此外，伪去极化否定了响应，而对照研究提供了确凿的证据，证明 PolVEP 响应不是亮度伪影的产物。偏振调制模式没有引起可记录的 ERG 响应。讨论了 PolVEP 信号的可能来源，以及可记录 ERG 信号的缺失。我们得出结论，对偏振调制模式诱发的皮层反应提供了中央凹功能的客观测量，适用于具有等效黄斑解剖结构的人类和非人类灵长类动物。