A novel way to make transient-VEPs a better predictor of human binocular integration

Abstract

To establish an electrophysiological marker of binocular vision, visual evoked potentials were recorded in normal observers for whom interocular refraction differences were induced with converging lenses under five dioptre conditions. Patterns of binocular interaction were categorized (facilitation, averaging or suppression) by comparing monocular and binocular responses. Quantitative and continuous indexes of binocular integration were also calculated (binocular response minus the sum of monocular responses). Results indicated that patterns of interaction were not optimal to account for stereoscopic performance. The latter was, however, best explained by binocular integration indexes. This study shows evidence of predicting binocular vision based on a novel index that allows continuous quantification of binocular transient-visual evoked potential responses.