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Motion aftereffect elicits smooth pursuit eye movements
Doris I Braun1, Lars Pracejus, Karl R Gegenfurtner
1Abteilung Allgemeine Psychologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10F, 35394 Giessen, Germany. Doris.Braun@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Journal of Vision
|August 10, 2006
Summary
Smooth pursuit eye movements can be driven by illusory motion. This study shows that the eyes pursue stationary objects perceived as moving due to the motion aftereffect (MAE).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Vision Science
- Oculomotor Research
Background:
- Smooth pursuit eye movements stabilize the foveal image of moving objects.
- Previous research indicated pursuit aligns with perceived motion when cues are ambiguous.
- The motion aftereffect (MAE) is a perceptual phenomenon where continued exposure to motion leads to the perception of motion in a stationary stimulus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if illusory motion, induced by the MAE, can elicit smooth pursuit eye movements.
- To determine if smooth pursuit aligns with perceived motion even when the stimulus is physically stationary.
- To explore the relationship between perceptual bias from MAE and oculomotor responses.
Main Methods:
- Inducing the motion aftereffect (MAE) through prolonged exposure to a moving visual stimulus.
- Presenting physically stationary stimuli that were perceived as moving due to the MAE.
- Measuring smooth pursuit eye movements in response to these illusory motion stimuli.
- Testing physically moving stimuli perceived as stationary to observe eye movement suppression.
Main Results:
- Subjects exhibited reliable smooth pursuit eye movements towards stationary stimuli perceived as moving because of the MAE.
- Conversely, eyes remained stationary when viewing physically moving stimuli perceived as stationary.
- The direction and speed of pursuit eye movements aligned with the illusory motion percept, counteracting the MAE.
- This perceptual-oculomotor agreement persisted across various stimulus conditions affecting MAE magnitude.
Conclusions:
- Smooth pursuit eye movements can be elicited by illusory motion, demonstrating a direct link between perception and oculomotor control.
- The motion aftereffect (MAE) can override physical motion, guiding eye movements based on subjective visual experience.
- These findings reveal that the oculomotor system is sensitive to perceived motion, even in the absence of actual physical displacement.
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