Neuroimaging studies of human binocular vision and stimulus selection

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Normal vision requires the combination of information from the two eyes. In most situations where the information from the two eyes is compatible with a single object in space, depth information can be extracted. In circumstances where the information from the two eyes is incompatible, a sensation of rivalry results. To fully understand brain function in general, and binocular vision in particular, it is crucial to know the relationship between the processes underlying depth and rivalry. Our long-term goal is to provide a perceptual and physiological account of binocular combination that integrates with our understanding of the visual system as whole. The objective of this application is to better characterize the network organization in the human brain that underlies the perception of binocular depth and rivalry, including comparison with monocular rivalry and dichoptic masking. We propose that by correlating performance of these visual functions with high-resolution neuroimaging of brain activity we can evaluate competing theories of binocular vision, and relate our findings to current understanding of perceptual awareness.