6533b821fe1ef96bd127ba8e
RESEARCH PRODUCT
100 Years of Benham's Top in Colour Science
Christoph Von CampenhausenJürgen Schrammesubject
genetic structuresmedia_common.quotation_subjectMotion PerceptionIllusionExperimental and Cognitive PsychologyStimulus (physiology)Retina050105 experimental psychologyBenham's topFlicker Fusion03 medical and health sciencesNeural activity0302 clinical medicineRetinal Rod Photoreceptor CellsArtificial IntelligenceOrientationPsychophysicsmedicinePsychophysicsHumansVisual Pathways0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesVisual Cortexmedia_commonNeuronsRetinaCommunicationOptical Illusionsbusiness.industryFlicker05 social sciencesSensory SystemsOphthalmologymedicine.anatomical_structureVisual cortexRetinal Cone Photoreceptor CellsbusinessPsychologyNeuroscienceColor Perception030217 neurology & neurosurgerydescription
For 100 years Benham's top has been a popular device demonstrating pattern-induced flicker colours (PIFCs). Results of early and recent investigations on PIFCs are reported and show that the phenomenon originates in phase-sensitive lateral interactions of modulated neural activity in the retina followed by additional spatial interactions in the visual cortex behind the locus of binocular fusion. Colour matches with normal colour stimuli indicate that S/(M + L) opponent neurons are involved. Dichromats do not find matching stimuli for all PIFCs. PIFCs may become useful in medical diagnosis. The phenomenon is interpreted as a side effect of a neural mechanism providing colour constancy under normal stimulus conditions.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-06-01 | Perception |