Abstract
When binocular rivalry is induced by opponent motion displays, perceptual reversals are often associated with changed oculomotor behavior (Frässle, Sommer, Jansen, Naber, & Einhäuser, 2014; Fujiwara et al., 2017). Specifically, the direction of smooth pursuit phases in optokinetic nystagmus typically corresponds to the direction of motion that dominates perceptual appearance at any given time. Here we report an improved analysis that continuously estimates perceived motion in terms of "cumulative smooth pursuit." In essence, smooth pursuit segments are identified, interpolated where necessary, and joined probabilistically into a continuous record of cumulative smooth pursuit (i.e., probability of eye position disregarding blinks, saccades, signal losses, and artefacts). The analysis is fully automated and robust in healthy, developmental, and patient populations. To validate reliability, we compare volitional reports of perceptual reversals in rivalry displays, and of physical reversals in nonrivalrous control displays. Cumulative smooth pursuit detects physical reversals and estimates eye velocity more accurately than existing methods do (Frässle et al., 2014). It also appears to distinguish dominant and transitional perceptual states, detecting changes with a precision of ±100 ms. We conclude that cumulative smooth pursuit significantly improves the monitoring of binocular rivalry by means of recording optokinetic nystagmus.
Highlights
Studies of binocular rivalry typically rely on volitional reports from observers trained to communicate their subjective perceptual experience as rapidly and faithfully as possible (Logothetis et al, 1996; Blake and Logothetis, 2002; Tong et al, 2006; Sterzer et al, 2009)
When binocular rivalry is induced by opponent motion displays, perceptual reversals are often associated with changed oculomotor behaviour (Frassle et al, 2014; Fujiwara et al, 2017)
We report grand means of data pooled from all observers, plus minus the standard error of the mean (SEM)
Summary
Studies of binocular rivalry typically rely on volitional reports from observers trained to communicate their subjective perceptual experience as rapidly and faithfully as possible (Logothetis et al, 1996; Blake and Logothetis, 2002; Tong et al, 2006; Sterzer et al, 2009). The direction of smooth pursuit typically reverses as well The validity of this approach was confirmed with magnetic scleral coils both in non-human primates trained to report their subjective experience and in human observers (Logothetis and Schall, 1990; Wei and Sun, 1998) and was subsequently extended to infrared eye trackers (Watanabe, 1999; Naber et al, 2011; Frassle et al, 2014)
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