Cancellation of self-induced retinal image motion during smooth pursuit eye movements

When our eyes are tracking a target that is moving in front of a structured background, global motion of equal speed is induced in the opposite direction. This effect has been termed reafference, which, astonishingly, does not significantly affect the execution of such pursuit eye movements. Employing brief and unexpected injections of full-field motion during ongoing human smooth pursuit, we demonstrate that the sensitivity for full-field motion is reduced strongly in the direction opposite to the eye movement, i.e. the direction of reafferent background motion. Our experiments further characterize this asymmetry in visual motion processing and provide a preliminary explanation for the accuracy of the pursuit system despite self-induced motion.

[1]  D. Robinson.  A method of measuring eye movement using a scleral coil in a magnetic field , 1963 .

[2]  F A Miles,et al.  Short latency ocular-following responses in man , 1990, Visual Neuroscience.

[3]  I. P. Howard,et al.  Human optokinetic nystagmus is linked to the stereoscopic system , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[4]  U. Ilg,et al.  Asymmetry in visual motion processing. , 1999, Neuroreport.

[5]  D. Robinson,et al.  A METHOD OF MEASURING EYE MOVEMENT USING A SCLERAL SEARCH COIL IN A MAGNETIC FIELD. , 1963, IEEE transactions on bio-medical engineering.

[6]  F A Miles,et al.  Effects of stationary textured backgrounds on the initiation of pursuit eye movements in monkeys. , 1992, Journal of neurophysiology.

[7]  H. Collewijn,et al.  Precise recording of human eye movements , 1975, Vision Research.

[8]  R D Yee,et al.  Effects of an optokinetic background on pursuit eye movements. , 1983, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[9]  U. Ilg.  Slow eye movements , 1997, Progress in Neurobiology.

[10]  Luc Proteau,et al.  Effects of stationary and moving textured backgrounds on the visuo-oculo-manual tracking in humans , 1995, Vision Research.

[11]  Peter Thier,et al.  The influence of structured visual backgrounds on smooth-pursuit initiation, steady-state pursuit and smooth-pursuit termination , 1995, Biological Cybernetics.

[12]  H. Collewijn,et al.  Human smooth and saccadic eye movements during voluntary pursuit of different target motions on different backgrounds. , 1984, The Journal of physiology.

[13]  S. Lisberger,et al.  Initial tracking conditions modulate the gain of visuo-motor transmission for smooth pursuit eye movements in monkeys , 1994, Visual Neuroscience.

[14]  Aya Takemura,et al.  Effects of smooth pursuit eye movement on ocular responses to sudden background motion in humans , 1999, Neuroscience Research.

[15]  F A Miles,et al.  Short-latency ocular following responses of monkey. II. Dependence on a prior saccadic eye movement. , 1986, Journal of neurophysiology.

[16]  E. Holst,et al.  Das Reafferenzprinzip , 2004, Naturwissenschaften.

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

[18]  Vision Research , 1961, Nature.

[19]  I. Howard,et al.  Visual pursuit over textured backgrounds in different depth planes , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.