Eye movements and stereopsis during dichoptic viewing of moving random-dot stereograms

The dynamic properties of the version and vergence system were studied in relation to stereopsis for movements of the whole visual scene. Large random-dot stereograms (30 X 30 deg arc), moving laterally, were viewed dichoptically by human subjects without a fixed visual frame of reference. Sinusoidal movements in counterphase of the two half-images constituting the stereogram induced sinusoidal ocular vergence movements. The gain of vergence depended on the frequency as well as the amplitude of stimulus movement, while the phase lag depended only on the frequency. Fusion and stereopsis were retained up to a maximal velocity of change in relative position of the two half-images between 6 and 13.5 deg/sec. Sinusoidal movement of one half-image while the other one remained stationary induced sinusoidal ocular version as well as vergence movements. For version gains were higher and phase lags were smaller than for vergence. At the retinal level, residual overall binocular disparities between the two half-images up to 2 deg arc were tolerated without loss of stereopsis. The presence of sinusoidally varying overall binocular disparities and ocular vergence movements without perception of motion in depth suggests that these variables are not adequate cues for perception of (change in) depth.