Visual sensitivity underlying changes in visual consciousness.
David Alais, John Cass, Robert P O'Shea, Randolph Blake
Current biology : CB August 10, 2010 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.06.015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Empirical study with two experiments Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Using more appropriate probe stimuli (experiment 1) and a new method (experiment 2), the authors found that visual sensitivities in dominance and suppression show the predicted complementary changes: sensitivity decreases in the dominant eye and increases in the suppressed eye during suppression, contrary to earlier reports of constant sensitivity. |
Abstract
When viewing a different stimulus with each eye, we experience the remarkable phenomenon of binocular rivalry: alternations in consciousness between the stimuli [1, 2]. According to a popular theory first proposed in 1901, neurons encoding the two stimuli engage in reciprocal inhibition [3-8] so that those processing one stimulus inhibit those processing the other, yielding consciousness of one dominant stimulus at any moment and suppressing the other. Also according to the theory, neurons encoding the dominant stimulus adapt, weakening their activity and the inhibition they can exert, whereas neurons encoding the suppressed stimulus recover from adaptation until the balance of activity reverses, triggering an alternation in consciousness. Despite its popularity, this theory has one glaring inconsistency with data: during an episode of suppression, visual sensitivity to brief probe stimuli in the dominant eye should decrease over time and should increase in the suppressed eye, yet sensitivity appears to be constant [9, 10]. Using more appropriate probe stimuli (experiment 1) in conjunction with a new method (experiment 2), we found that sensitivities in dominance and suppression do show the predicted complementary changes.