The Extent of Panum's Area and the Human Cortical Magnification Factor

Abstract

The horizontal extent of Panum's fusional area was measured by means of a single-vertical-line stimulus placed at thirty-two locations throughout the peripheral visual field. These results were transformed by using known values of the human cortical magnification factor (CMF), and the hypothesis that variations in the magnitude of Panum's area may be accounted for by variations in the CMF was tested. It was found that the increase in Panum's area with increasing stimulus eccentricity correlates well with the CMF, but that variations in the extent of Panum's area as a function of angular position around the line of sight do not correspond well with the CMF.