General validity of Levelt's propositions reveals common computational mechanisms for visual rivalry

The mechanisms underlying conscious visual perception are often studied with either binocular rivalry or perceptual rivalry stimuli. Despite existing research into both types of rivalry, it remains unclear to what extent their underlying mechanisms involve common computational rules. Computational m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2008-10, Vol.3 (10), p.e3473-e3473
Main Authors: Klink, P Christiaan, van Ee, Raymond, van Wezel, Richard J A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Binocular vision
Bistability
Cognitive ability
Competition
Competitive advantage
Computation
Computational Biology/Computational Neuroscience
Computational neuroscience
Dominance, Ocular
Functional Laterality
Humans
Models, Biological
Neurobiology
Neuroscience/Experimental Psychology
Neuroscience/Sensory Systems
Neurosciences
Perceptions
Perceptual Masking
Photic Stimulation
Psychophysics
Rotating spheres
Trends
Vision Disparity
Vision, Binocular - physiology
Visual perception
Visual Perception - physiology
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Summary:The mechanisms underlying conscious visual perception are often studied with either binocular rivalry or perceptual rivalry stimuli. Despite existing research into both types of rivalry, it remains unclear to what extent their underlying mechanisms involve common computational rules. Computational models of binocular rivalry mechanisms are generally tested against Levelt's four propositions, describing the psychophysical relation between stimulus strength and alternation dynamics in binocular rivalry. Here we use a bistable rotating structure-from-motion sphere, a generally studied form of perceptual rivalry, to demonstrate that Levelt's propositions also apply to the alternation dynamics of perceptual rivalry. Importantly, these findings suggest that bistability in structure-from-motion results from active cross-inhibition between neural populations with computational principles similar to those present in binocular rivalry. Thus, although the neural input to the computational mechanism of rivalry may stem from different cortical neurons and different cognitive levels the computational principles just prior to the production of visual awareness appear to be common to the two types of rivalry.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0003473