Pupil constriction via the parasympathetic pathway precedes perceptual switch of ambiguous stimuli
Pupil constriction via the parasympathetic pathway precedes perceptual switch of ambiguous stimuli
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DOI：
10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.06.006
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发表时间：
2021-06-25
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Fujikado, Takashi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nakano, Tamami;Ichiki, Arata;Fujikado, Takashi
模糊刺激的知觉竞争反映了多个皮层区域间神经活动的相互作用。然而，目前尚不清楚是什么驱动了自发的感知改变。我们假设，由于觉醒减少，自发神经活动的波动增加驱动了感知转换。在这里，我们展示了瞳孔在自发的知觉转换开始前几秒钟收缩。在外源性知觉转换之前，没有观察到这种瞳孔收缩。药理学实验证实，当外周副交感神经通路（瞳孔括约肌）被阻断时，瞳孔收缩消失，但当外周交感神经通路（瞳孔扩张肌）被操纵时，瞳孔收缩保持完整。此外，伴有行为反应的瞳孔快速扩张也由外周副交感神经通路介导。目前的研究结果表明，瞳孔大小的自主神经调节所表现的短暂性觉醒下降参与了诱导双稳态刺激的自发知觉转换。
Perceptual rivalry of ambiguous stimuli reflects the interaction of neural activity among multiple cortical regions. However, it remains unclear what drives a spontaneous perceptual alteration. We hypothesized that increased fluctuations in spontaneous neural activity due to arousal reduction drive the perceptual switch. Here, we show that the pupils shrank a few seconds prior to the onset of the spontaneous perceptual switch. Such pupil constriction was not observed before the exogenous perceptual switch. Pharmacological experiments confirmed that the pupil constriction disappeared when the peripheral parasympathetic pathway (pupil sphincter muscle) was blocked, but it remained intact when the peripheral sympathetic pathway (pupil dilator muscle) was manipulated. Furthermore, rapid pupil dilations with behavioral response are also mediated by the peripheral parasympathetic pathway. The present findings suggested that transient arousal drops, as denoted by the autonomic nervous modulation of pupil size, are involved in inducing the spontaneous perceptual switch of bistable stimuli.