Attentional eye selection modulates sensory eye dominance.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Vision Science
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Monocular deprivation temporarily alters binocular visual processing and interocular balance.
• The role of higher-level visual processing in these dominance shifts remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different monocular manipulations affect sensory eye dominance in adults.
• To determine if luminance/contrast changes are necessary for eye dominance shifts.
• To explore the role of attention in modulating eye dominance.

Main Methods:

• Adult participants with normal binocular vision underwent 150 minutes of monocular coverage using an opaque patch, diffusing lens, or image-inverting prism.
• Binocular rivalry (BR) was used to measure changes in sensory eye dominance.
• Attentional demands during monocular treatment were manipulated.

Main Results:

• All three monocular manipulations (patch, lens, prism) favored the treated eye during binocular rivalry.
• Eye dominance shifts occurred even when luminance and contrast were unchanged (prism condition).
• Shifts in eye dominance were dependent on attentional demands during the monocular treatment period.
• Rapid build-up of ocular dominance shifts was observed after treatment onset.

Conclusions:

• Monocular input alterations shift eye dominance via selective attentional mechanisms, biasing output towards the deprived eye.
• Sensory changes like luminance or contrast reduction are not essential for inducing these shifts.
• Eye-based attention is crucial for modulating eye dominance, particularly in conditions like amblyopia.