Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate the changes in the dynamic property of vergence eye movements caused by changes in the co-existing stationary background in the central visual field. Methods: Disparity-driven target movement was presented virtually by a head-mounted liquid-crystal display. Two targets were used: a bar-shaped target that moved between 2 and 0.5 m along the mid-sagittal line at a speed of 50 cm/s (vergence target) and a background image of a cross-shaped target that stayed at a distance of 2 m (background target). Eight normal subjects participated in the experiments. The subject was asked to follow the vergence target while the configuration of the background target was randomly changed among four conditions in each experiment: the length (experiment 1) or the width (experiment 2) of the horizontal and vertical lines composing the cross of the background target was each randomly changed among four conditions. A limbus tracker was used to measure eye movements. Results: In experiment 1, there was a negative correlation between the amplitude of the vergence eye movements and the lengths of the lines of the cross in each of five subjects (mean r = 0.018, n = 48 in each subject). Similarly, in experiment 2, there was a negative correlation between the amplitude of the vergence eye movements and the width of the lines of the cross in each of 8 subjects (mean r = –0.12, n = 48 in each subject). Conclusion: The vergence response to a target object significantly differs depending on the texture of background objects on the visual axis.

Keywords:
Vergence eye movements, Texture of background, Binocular disparity
1.
Francis EL, Owens DA: The accuracy of binocular vergence for peripheral stimuli. Vision Res 1983;23:13–19.
2.
Hampton DR, Kertesz AE: Fusional vergence response to local peripheral stimulation. J Opt Soc Am 1983;73:7–10.
3.
Regan D, Erkelens CJ, Collewijn H: Visual field defects for vergence eye movements and for stereomotion perception. Invest Ophtalmol Vis Sci 1986;27:806–819.
4.
Mallot HA, Roll A, Amdt PA: Disparity-evoked vergence is driven by interocular correlation. Vis Res 1996;36:2925–2983.
5.
Erkelens CJ, Collewijn H: Control of vergence: gating among disparity inputs by voluntary target selection. Exp Brain Res 1991;87:671–678.
6.
Tanimoto N, Takagi M, Bando T, Abe H, Hasegawa S, Usui T, Miki A, Zee DS: Central and peripheral visual interactions in disparity-induced vergence eye movements. I. Spatial interaction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2004;45:1132–1138.
7.
Howard JP, Fang X, Allison RS: Effects of stimulus size and eccentricity on horizontal and vertical vergence. Exp Brain Res 2000;130:124–132.
8.
Bradshaw MF, Glennerster A, Rogers BJ: The effect of display size on disparity scaling from differential perspective and vergence cues. Vision Res 1996;36:1255–1264.
9.
Allison RS, Howard IP, Fang X: The stimulus integration area for horizontal vergence. Exp Brain Res 2004;156:305–313.
10.
Brian HM: Fusional movements: the role of peripheral retinal stimuli. Arch Opthalmol 1939;21:486–491.
11.
Winkelman JE: Peripheral fusion. Arch Opthalmol 1951;45:425–430.
12.
Lyle TK, Foley J: Subnormal binocular vision with special reference to peripheral fusion. Br J Ophthalmol 1955;39:474–487.
13.
Nauheim JS: A preliminary investigation of retinal locus as a factor in fusion. AMA Arch Ophthalmol 1957;58:122–125.
14.
Regan D, Erkelens CJ, Collewijn H: Necessary conditions for the perception of motion in depth. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1986;27:584–597.
15.
Stevenson SB, Reed PE, Yang J: The effect of target size and eccentricity on reflex disparity vergence. Vision Res 1999;39:823–832.
16.
Jones R, Stephens GL: Horizontal fusional amplitudes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1989;30:1638–1642.
17.
Francis EL, Owens DA: The accuracy of binocular vergence for peripheral stimuli. Vision Res 1983;23:13–19.
18.
Hung GK, Semmlow JL, Sun L, Ciuffreda KJ: Vergence control of central and peripheral disparities. Exp Neurol 1991;113:202–211.
19.
Stevenson SB, Lott LA, Yang J: The influence of subject instruction on horizontal and vertical vergence tracking. Vision Res 1997;37:2891–2898.
20.
Niemann T, Hoffmann KP: The influence of stationary and moving textured backgrounds on smooth-pursuit initiation and steady state pursuit in humans. Exp Brain Res 1997;115:531–540.
21.
Kertesz AE: Effect of stimulus size on fusion and vergence. J Opt Soc Am 1981;71:289–293.
22.
Erkelens CJ: Fusional limits for a large random-dot stereogram. Vision Res 1988;28:345–353.
23.
Fender D, Julesz B: Extension of Pannum’s fusional area in binocularly stabilized vision. J Opt Soc Am 1967;57:819–830.
24.
Popple AV, Smallman HS, Findlay JM: The area of spatial integration for initial horizontal disparity vergence. Vision Res 1998;38:319–326.
25.
Allison RS, Howard IP, Fang X: Depth selectivity of vertical fusional mechanisms. Vision Res 2000;40:2985–2998.
26.
Westheimer G, Tanzman IJ: Qualitative depth localization with diplopic images. J Opt Soc Am 1956;46:116–117.
27.
Jones B: Anomalies of disparity detection in the human visual system. J Physiol 1977;264:621–640.
28.
Boman DK, Kertesz AE: Fusional responses of strabismics to foveal and extrafoveal stimulation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1985;26:1731–1739.
© 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel
2006
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.