Where visual fields coming from? ‐ A short introduction from neurophysiology point of view

• Published in: Acta ophthalmologica (Oxford, England) Vol. 102; no. S279
• Main Author: Lewin‐Kowalik, Joanna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Cornea; Depth perception; Eye lens; Information processing; Motion detection; Neuroimaging; Optic nerve; Photoreceptors; Retina; Somatosensory cortex; Temporal lobe; Vision; Visual cortex; Visual field; Visual perception; Visual stimuli
• ISSN: 1755-375X; 1755-3768
• DOI: 10.1111/aos.16289

Visual fields refer to the area of vision that can be seen by each eye when it is fixed in a certain position. The visual fields are created by the combination of the images received by each eye, which are then processed by the brain to create a single, unified image. The visual fields are divided into four quadrants: superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal. Each eye sees a slightly different portion of the visual field, and the brain combines these two images to create a three‐dimensional perception of the world. The visual fields are outcome of the interaction of the ocular structures, optic nerve, and brain centres. The eye captures images of the visual field through the cornea and lens, which focus the light onto the retina. The retina contains specialized photoreceptors, which convert the light into electrical signals that are transmitted through the optic nerve to the brain. The images are first integrated and processed within lateral geniculate nuclei of the thalamus. In this important structure visual stimuli are first filtered, to eliminate irrelevant or unnecessary information, allowing only important visual signals to pass on to the visual cortex, then integrated from both eyes, allowing for depth perception and 3D vision, processed, based on features such as colour, contrast, and movement, which are then relayed to the visual cortex and synchronized with other sensory information in the brain, allowing for a coherent perception of the environment. The visual cortex in the brain then processes these integrated signals to create the perception of the visual field. This complex process allows us to see and interpret the world around us, including objects, people, and scenery, and to respond to them in a meaningful way.