Development of the Primate Fovea

Funded Activity Summary

The fovea is a specialized part of the retina which enables us to see fine detail. The fovea is characterised by an extremely high concentration of photoreceptor cells in a small, prescribed area to detect detail in the pattern of light reaching the retina. Each of these photoreceptor cells is connected to at least four other cells within the retina, which further refine the information coded by the photoreceptors. Because this circuitry involves so many cells, the retina has a tendency to be thick at the specialized area. However, in development the cells connected to the foveal photoreceptors move away from the central concentration of photoreceptors, still keeping their contacts with them. This results in thinning of the retina locally, so it has a volcanoe-like formation at the fovea, in which photoreceptors are concentrated within the crater and the displaced cells are accumulated on the rim. The events which trigger these cell displacements that form the fovea are unknown. We propose to investigate growth factors which signal between the fovea and the developing blood supply, and the relationship between the formation of the fovea and neuronal activity. This study will provide a new perspective on factors which affect central visual function and its vulnerability to insult in premature infants and in aging.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2001

End Date: 01-01-2003

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $196,527.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Opthalmology And Vision Science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Macular disease | Retinopathy of Prematurity | Visual Impairment | fovea centralis | prematurity | primate | retinal development | vascular development

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