# How the eye keeps time: New study reveals synchronisation mechanism in the human retina

**Source**: https://bsse.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-bsse-news/2025/07/how-the-eye-keeps-time-new-study-reveals-synchronisation-mechanism-in-the-human-retina.html
**Parent**: https://bsse.ethz.ch/news-and-events/d-bsse-news.html?AUTHOR=Q2Fyb2xpbiBBcm5kdCBGb3BwYQ&path=L2NvbnRlbnQvc3BlY2lhbGludGVyZXN0L2Jzc2UvZGVwYXJ0bWVudC9lbi9uZXdzLWFuZC1ldmVudHMvamNyOmNvbnRlbnQvcGFyL25ld3NmZWVkXzQzMTg

A new study published in *Nature Neuroscience* reveals how our brains achieve the remarkable feat of synchronising visual signals that travel at different speeds –even within the small nervous system of the eye known as the retina.

In a collaborative effort by researchers from the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), the University of Basel and the Bio Engineering Laboratory (BEL) of Andreas Hierlemann, the scientists discovered that the human retina compensates for timing differences in signal transmission from individual photoreceptors around the fovea.

The fovea – crucial for reading and face recognition – contains densely packed photoreceptor cells (cones) that send signals to retinal ganglion cells and then to the optic nerve through axons of varying lengths. Yet, our perception remains seamless and synchronised.

> “The exceptional technical sophistication of this manuscript was striking from the first read. It is a precious study for those researching the human visual system.”
>
> Henrietta Howells, Senior Editor, Nature Neuroscience.

The team combined neural recordings, behavioral testing, and biophysical modelling to explore this mystery. They found that reaction times to light stimulation of individual cones were strikingly uniform, despite the fact that some cones' signals have to travel much longer distances within the retina. How? The answer lies in the axon properties: longer axons of retinal ganglion cells around the fovea have larger diameters and conduct electrical signals more quickly, which effectively synchronizes the arrival time of visual information at the optic nerve.

These findings uncover a previously unknown biological mechanism by which the brain—and specifically the retina—synchronises perception. By fine-tuning the speed of neural signals at the very first stage of visual processing, the human visual system ensures that our view of the world is not just sharp, but also perfectly timed.

## Find the original study published in *Nature Neuroscience*:

Bucci, A., Büttner, M., Domdei, N., et al. (2025) [external page Synchronization of visual perception within the human fovea.](https://rdcu.be/ezkQF) *Nature Neuroscience*.

Research Briefing (2025) [external page How the retina keeps the precise timing needed for coherent visual perception.](https://rdcu.be/ezkQ5) *Nature Neuroscience*. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-02012-2.

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 Find information on [this study on the BEL news page](https://bsse.ethz.ch/bel/news/bel-news-archive/2025/07/synchronization-of-visual-perception-within-the-human-fovea.html).

Learn about research in the [Bio Engineering Lab led by Andreas Hierlemann](https://bsse.ethz.ch/bel).