Local flicker stimulation evokes local retinal blood velocity changes

We investigated the effect of localized visual stimulation on human retinal blood velocity using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). To measure the blood velocity response, the AOSLO scanning raster was moved over the target arteries and red blood cell velocity was measured. Localized visual stimuli were delivered by projecting flicker patterns inside or outside the target artery's downstream region. The blood velocity increased in the presence of a flicker stimulus in the downstream region but not when outside the downstream region. The blood velocity increased more with larger area of stimulation. This increase was significant even when the stimulus was smaller than 600 μm × 600 μm. These findings suggest that when the retina regulates its blood flow to metabolic demands, it regulates blood velocity in the vascular system selectively, according to activity of neurons within its field of influence.