Melanopsin-mediated image statistics from natural and human-made environments.

ABSTRACT: Melanopsin-expressing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) play a critical role in regulating physiological and behavioral responses to light. However, little is known about how melanopsin and ipRGC signals are shaped by the statistical properties of real-world environments. Here, we analyzed the statistics of melanopsin, ipRGC codification of extrinsic and intrinsic photoresponses, and luminance using hyperspectral images of natural and human-made scenes under daylight illumination. The statistics were obtained by modeling human retinal receptive fields from current knowledge about ipRGC anatomy and physiology. Our findings reveal that human-made environments exhibit significantly higher melanopsin, luminance, and ipRGC excitations compared to natural environments.

SUBMITTER: Barrionuevo PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12356983 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature