Complete interocular transfer of motion adaptation effects on motion coherence thresholds

The binocularity of visual mechanisms in humans can be investigated by measuring the interocular transfer (IOT) of visual aftereffects. Cells in extrastriate visual areas of macaque, e.g. the middle temporal (MT) area, are uniformly binocular, whereas cells in striate area V1 vary in their degree of binocularity. Therefore, IOT of aftereffects mediated by extrastriate cortex should be nearly complete compared to the partial transfer (about 70%) found for aftereffects thought to be mediated by V1. If MT and other extrastriate areas play a significant role in motion perception, then IOT of motion adaptation aftereffects on the perception of moving stimuli should be nearly complete. After motion adaptation, the perception of global movement direction in partially coherent random dot kinematograms (RDKs) is temporarily impaired if the predominant direction of dots in the test stimulus matches that of the adaptation stimulus. I measured the IOT of this motion incoherence aftereffect in four observers. Post-adaptation motion coherence thresholds were elevated equally for interocular and intraocular adaptation, indicating complete transfer of the aftereffect. Measurement of the classical motion aftereffect using the same stimuli and conditions showed partial or absent transfer. These data support the idea that extrastriate areas play a key role in motion perception and suggest that the motion incoherence aftereffect and the classical motion aftereffect may involve different mechanisms.