Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2025
10:12
Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform
Published on: May 23, 2013
16.0K
Large-scale cortico-cerebellar computations for horizontal and vertical vergence in humans
Hiroyuki Mitsudo1, Naruhito Hironaga2, Katsuya Ogata3
1Division of Psychology, Department of Human Sciences, Faculty of Human-Environment Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Moto-oka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan. hmitsudo@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Scientific Reports
|July 8, 2022
Summary
This study reveals that both horizontal and vertical vergence eye movements share some neural computations in the brain. However, distinct neural activity patterns emerge during vertical vergence execution.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Binocular coordination relies on horizontal and vertical vergence eye movements.
- Cortical and subcortical regions are implicated in horizontal vergence, but vertical vergence mechanisms remain unclear.
- Understanding the overlap in neural mechanisms for horizontal and vertical vergence is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural computations underlying horizontal and vertical vergence.
- To explore the shared and distinct neural mechanisms for both vergence types.
- To map brain activity associated with processing horizontal and vertical disparities.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous electrooculography (EOG) and whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings in 29 healthy adults.
- Presentation of large-field stereograms manipulating horizontal and vertical binocular disparities.
- Model-based MEG source estimation and theta-band (4 Hz) coherence analysis with EOG vergence velocity.
Main Results:
- Similar time-locked neural responses to horizontal and vertical disparities were observed in cortical and cerebellar areas (100-250 ms post-stimulus).
- Distinct low-frequency oscillatory neural activity was identified during vertical vergence execution compared to horizontal vergence.
- Evidence suggests partially shared yet distinct neural computations for horizontal and vertical vergence.
Conclusions:
- Horizontal and vertical vergence utilize overlapping neural resources in cortico-cerebellar networks.
- Specific neural computations, particularly in oscillatory activity, differentiate vertical vergence from horizontal vergence.
- These findings advance our understanding of binocular vision and sensorimotor control.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
881
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
881
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
1.2K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
1.2K
01:24Vision
55.2K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
55.2K
01:29The Vestibular System
40.1K
The vestibular system is a set of inner ear structures that provide a sense of balance and spatial orientation. This system is comprised of structures within the labyrinth of the inner ear, including the cochlea and two otolith organs—the utricle and saccule. The labyrinth also contains three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—that are oriented on different planes.
40.1K
01:29Sight Distance in a Vertical Curve
122
Sight distance on vertical curves is critical in roadway design. It ensures drivers can see far enough ahead to identify and respond to hazards effectively. This directly impacts safety, driver comfort, and the overall efficiency of the transportation network.Vertical curves are classified into crest and sag curves based on their geometry. For crest curves, sight distance is determined by the line of sight between a driver's eye and a small object on the road's surface. Design parameters for...
122
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
4.5K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
4.5K