Ganglion cell acuity in hooded rats.

Previous measurements of retinal ganglion cell acuity in hooded rats have differed significantly from behavioral tests of visual acuity. One possible source of this discrepancy is examined--that light deprivation in early life may result in deficits in ganglion cell acuity. No evidence to support this hypothesis is found. Rat retinal ganglion cells exhibited a broad range of acuities. Cells with the highest resolving capacities have acuities close to those measured previously in behavioral tests. The relationships which may potentially exist between physiological and behavioral measures of visual acuity are discussed.