Human pupillary response to ramp changes in light intensity.

The dynamic behavior of the pupillary system was explored using different velocity ramp changes in light intensity. Ramp stimuli ranged in velocity from 0.02 to 8.00 log units/s and the responses were recorded from three subjects. For ramp velocity below 0.066 log units/s, the responses were mainly ramps. Above 1.0 log units/s ramp velocity, the responses were mostly steps. In the stimulus velocity range of 0.066 to 1.0 log units/s, the primary responses were step-ramps. The amplitudes of the initial step movement in step-ramp responses were found to be proportional to stimulus ramp velocity. Thus the pupillary system appears either to convert the total energy in a time interval or the rate of change of intensity of the ramp stimulus into a step signal for driving the pupillary plant output.