Spatial vision of the achromat: spatial frequency and orientation-specific adaptation.

1. The psychophysical technique of selective adaptation to stationary sine-wave gratings of varying spatial frequency and orientation was used to investigate the central processing of spatial information in the visual system of the complete achromat. 2. For adapting spatial frequencies of 1 and 2 cycles/deg, the spatial frequency and orientation selectivity of contrast threshold elevation is similar for achromatic and trichromatic vision. 3. For adapting frequencies below 1 cycle/deg, the achromat shows threshold elevations of normal magnitude with symmetrical spatial frequency and orientation tuning for adapting frequencies as low as 0.09 cycles/deg with 'bandwidth' estimates similar to those found at high frequencies in the trichromat. Below 0.66 cycles/deg no after-effect could be obtained in the trichromat, and the frequency tuning at 0.66 cycles/deg was skewed towards higher frequencies. 4. The interocular transfer of low-frequency adaptation in the achromat was 50%, which is the same value obtained at higher frequencies. 5. The time course of the decay of low spatial frequency adaptation in the achromat was similar to that found at higher frequencies. 6. Control experiments show no low-frequency adaptation in peripheral vision or in central vision in the dark-adapted trichromat indicating that low spatial frequency adaptation cannot be elicited through the rod system of the trichromat. 7. It is proposed that the observed range shift of adaptable spatial frequency mechanisms in the achromat's visual cortex is the result of an arrest at an early stage of sensory development. The visual cortex of the achromat is comparable, with respect to spatial processing, to that of the young, visually normal human infant.