Wenqing Zhu1,3,4  · Ye Liu2  · Xiaoxiao Chen1,3,4 · Liling Qian2  · Wei Wang2  · Leilei Zou5  · Yiliang Lu2  · Rui Liu1,3,4

1 Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China 

2 Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain‑Inspired Intelligence Technology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China 

3 NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia and Related Eye Diseases; Key Laboratory of Myopia and Related Eye Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China 

4 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Shanghai 200031, China 

5 Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China

Abstract

Long-term exposure to monochromatic light during early life has been shown to significantly impact the development of myopia. However, its effect on color processing in the visual cortex remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of different lighting conditions on the functional organization of color representation in the visual cortical areas V1, V2, and V4 of rhesus monkeys raised under long-wave and short-wave monochromatic illumination for four years. Using cytochrome oxidase staining and intrinsic signal optical imaging, we found that the sizes, densities, and response strengths of cortical color domains in V1, V2, and V4 were consistent across illumination conditions. In addition, the cortical distances between specific hue response patches did not significantly differ among the groups. These findings suggested that long-term monochromatic illumination does not alter the spatial organization or functional properties of color domains in the visual cortex of rhesus monkeys. This research provides new insights into the resilience of the visual system’s chromatic representation despite altered lighting conditions in early life.

Keywords

Visual cortex; Color; Monochromatic illumination; Intrinsic signal optical imaging; Rhesus monkey

[SpringerLink]