Gaining the system: limits to compensating color deficiencies through post-receptoral gain changes

• DOI: 10.1364/josaa.480035
• Publication Date: 2022-12-14T17:00:08Z
• Authors: Kara J. Emery; Zoey J. Isherwood; Michael A. Webster
• Keywords: Achromatic lens; Trichromacy

Color percepts of anomalous trichromats are often more similar to normal than predicted from their receptor spectral sensitivities, suggesting that post-receptoral mechanisms can compensate for chromatic losses. The basis these adjustments and the extent which they could discount deficiency poorly understood. We modeled patterns compensation might result increasing gains in neurons offset weakened inputs. Individual population responses jointly encode luminance signals. As a result, cannot independently adjust change inputs, predicting only partial recovery increased achromatic contrast. These analyses constrain potential sites color loss characterize utility limits neural gain changes calibrating vision.