Response of capillaries and small arterioles to full-field flicker is not dependent on local ganglion cell thickness

To measure the influence of ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness on the changes in size and red blood cell (RBC) flow in small retinal vessels evoked by full-field flicker. We used a dual-beam adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope to image 11 healthy young controls in two retinal areas with significantly different GCL thicknesses. All capillaries and arterioles of the superficial vascular plexus were responsive to the flicker stimulation. Average lumen dilation and RBC flow changes were greater in capillaries than in arterioles (vasodilation: 10.9%, 6.7%; RBC flow: 51%, 38%, respectively). No statistically significant differences regarding relative lumen diameter, RBC velocity, or RBC flow were found with respect to GCL thickness, or vessel size.