Spatial frequency selectivity of visual suppression during convergence eye movements

Visual suppression of low-spatial frequency information during eye movements is believed to contribute to a stable perception of our visual environment. While visual perception has been studied extensively during saccades, vergence has been somewhat neglected. Here, we show that convergence eye movements reduce contrast sensitivity to low spatial frequency information around the onset of the eye movements, but do not affect sensitivity to higher spatial frequencies. This suggests that visual suppression elicited by convergence eye movements may have the same temporal and spatial characteristics as saccadic suppression.

[1]  D A Atchison,et al.  Measuring contrast sensitivity with inappropriate optical correction* , 2000, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[2]  R. Leigh,et al.  The neurology of eye movements , 1984 .

[3]  Karl R. Gegenfurtner,et al.  Contrast sensitivity during the initiation of smooth pursuit eye movements , 2007, Vision Research.

[4]  D. Burr,et al.  Selective suppression of the magnocellular visual pathway during saccadic eye movements , 1994, Nature.

[5]  K. Manning,et al.  Eye-movement-dependent loss in vision and its time course during vergence , 1986, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

[6]  Rajaraman Suryakumar,et al.  Vergence accommodation and monocular closed loop blur accommodation have similar dynamic characteristics , 2007, Vision Research.

[7]  Andrew B Watson,et al.  Blur clarified: a review and synthesis of blur discrimination. , 2011, Journal of vision.

[8]  Wataru Teramoto,et al.  Dynamic visual information facilitates object recognition from novel viewpoints. , 2010, Journal of vision.

[9]  Bruce Bridgeman,et al.  Failure to detect displacement of the visual world during saccadic eye movements , 1975, Vision Research.

[10]  R. Leigh,et al.  The neurology of eye movements , 2006 .

[11]  DOUGLAS SHIRACHI,et al.  Dynamic Measures of Vergence Accommodation , 1977, American journal of optometry and physiological optics.

[12]  C. Busettini,et al.  A role for stereoscopic depth cues in the rapid visual stabilization of the eyes , 1996, Nature.

[13]  J. Nachmias Effect of Exposure Duration on Visual Contrast Sensitivity with Square-Wave Gratings*† , 1967 .

[14]  C. Owsley,et al.  Aging, senile miosis and spatial contrast sensitivity at low luminance , 1988, Vision Research.

[15]  W. Charman,et al.  Age Changes in the Interactions between the Accommodation and Vergence Systems , 2001, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[16]  Denis G. Pelli,et al.  Accurate control of contrast on microcomputer displays , 1991, Vision Research.

[17]  C Busettini,et al.  Short-latency disparity vergence in humans. , 2001, Journal of neurophysiology.

[18]  Niall C. Strang,et al.  New type of perceptual suppression during dynamic ocular accommodation , 2008, Current Biology.

[19]  Burkhart Fischer,et al.  On the development of voluntary and reflexive components in human saccade generation , 1997, Brain Research.

[20]  F. C. Volkmann Human visual suppression , 1986, Vision Research.

[21]  Lora T. Likova,et al.  Analysis of human vergence dynamics. , 2012, Journal of vision.

[22]  R. Wurtz Neuronal mechanisms of visual stability , 2008, Vision Research.

[23]  Eugene R. Folk Vergence Eye Movements: Basic and Clinical Aspects , 1984 .

[24]  George K. Hung,et al.  Suppression of sensitivity to surround displacement during vergence eye movements , 1989, Experimental Neurology.

[25]  G. Hung,et al.  Convergence and Divergence Exhibit Different Response Characteristics to Symmetric Stimuli , 1997, Vision Research.

[26]  L M Optican,et al.  Saccade-vergence interactions in humans. , 1992, Journal of neurophysiology.

[27]  J. M. Woodhouse,et al.  The effect of pupil size on grating detection at various contrast levels , 1975, Vision Research.

[28]  J. Semmlow,et al.  Initial component control in disparity vergence: a model-based study , 1998, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[29]  T Rowan Candy,et al.  Accommodative and vergence responses to conflicting blur and disparity stimuli during development. , 2009, Journal of vision.

[30]  David M. Hoffman,et al.  Vergence-accommodation conflicts hinder visual performance and cause visual fatigue. , 2008, Journal of vision.

[31]  W. Weibull A Statistical Distribution Function of Wide Applicability , 1951 .

[32]  Karen A. Manning,et al.  Vergence eye movements and visual suppression , 1984, Vision Research.

[33]  D A Atchison,et al.  Effects of defocus and pupil size on human contrast sensitivity , 1999, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[34]  J. Morrison,et al.  A QUANTITATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF PUPIL DIAMETER AND DEFOCUS ON CONTRAST SENSITIVITY FOR AN EXTENDED RANGE OF SPATIAL FREQUENCIES IN NATURAL AND HOMATROPINIZED EYES , 1987, Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians.

[35]  A. Tomlinson,et al.  A comparison of saccadic and blink suppression in normal observers , 1997, Vision Research.

[36]  U. Shahani,et al.  Investigating the mechanisms that may underlie the reduction in contrast sensitivity during dynamic accommodation. , 2010, Journal of vision.

[37]  F A Wichmann,et al.  Ning for Helpful Comments and Suggestions. This Paper Benefited Con- Siderably from Conscientious Peer Review, and We Thank Our Reviewers the Psychometric Function: I. Fitting, Sampling, and Goodness of Fit , 2001 .

[38]  M. Morrone,et al.  Extraretinal Control of Saccadic Suppression , 2000, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[39]  Vision Research , 1961, Nature.