Fine-scale measurement of the blind spot borders

Abstract

The blind spot is both a necessity and a nuisance for seeing. It is the portion of the visual field projecting to where the optic nerve crosses the retina, a region devoid of photoreceptors and hence visual input. The precise way in which vision transitions into blindness at the blind spot border is to date unknown. A chief challenge to map this transition is the incessant movement of the eye, which unavoidably smears measurements across space. In this study, we used high-resolution eye-tracking and state-of-the-art retinal stabilization to finely map the blind spot borders. Participants reported the onset of tiny high-contrast probes that were briefly flashed at precise positions around the blind spot. This method has sufficient resolution to enable mapping of blood vessels from psychophysical measurements. Our data show that, even after accounting for eye movements, the transition zones at the edges of the blind spot are considerable. On the horizontal meridian, the regions with detection rates between 80% and 20% span approximately 25% of the overall width of the blind spot. These borders also vary considerably in size across different axes. These data show that the transition from full visibility to blindness at the blind spot border is not abrupt but occurs over a broad area.