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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry
Published on: November 10, 2010
Effects of selective 5-HT1A agonist tandospirone on the rate and rhythmicity of binocular rivalry
Masanori Nagamine1, Aihide Yoshino, Masaki Miyazaki
1Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
Rationale:
When dissimilar figures are presented to each eye individually, perception alternates spontaneously between each monocular view. This phenomenon, binocular rivalry, has been suggested to depend on serotonergic neural systems.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between binocular rivalry and serotonergic neural systems in more detail, we measured the perceptual alternation rate and rhythmicity of binocular rivalry under the influence of the 5-HT(1A) agonist tandospirone.
Materials And Methods:
Fifteen healthy volunteers were tested under placebo and 60 mg tandospirone conditions using the single-blind method. The perceptual alternation rate and rhythmicity of binocular rivalry were measured at pre-administration and at 90, 180, and 360 min post-administration.
Results:
Compared to placebo, the administration of tandospirone decreased the rate and rhythmicity of perceptual switching significantly at 90 and 180 min post-administration in a manner that is consistent with its pharmacokinetics.
Conclusions:
The present results suggest that the 5-HT(1A) neural pathways, mainly located in the mesolimbic system and brainstem, may play a crucial role as an oscillator in perceptual rivalry alternations.
