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Joint-encoding of motion and depth by visual cortical neurons: neural basis of the Pulfrich effect

Nature Neuroscience volume 4, pages 513–518 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Motion and stereoscopic depth are fundamental parameters of the structural analysis of visual scenes. Because they are defined by a difference in object position, either over time or across the eyes, a common neural machinery may be used for encoding these attributes. To examine this idea, we analyzed responses of binocular complex cells in the cat striate cortex to stimuli of various intra- and interocular spatial and temporal shifts. We found that most neurons exhibit space–time-oriented response profiles in both monocular and binocular domains. This indicates that these neurons encode motion and depth jointly, and it explains phenomena such as the Pulfrich effect. We also found that the relationship between neuronal tuning of motion and depth conforms to that predicted by the use of motion parallax as a depth cue. These results demonstrate a joint-encoding of motion and depth at an early cortical stage.

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Figure 1: The Pulfrich effect.
Figure 2: Hypothetical tuning profiles of neurons for interocular spatial offset and time difference.
Figure 3: Examples of two-bar interaction profiles.
Figure 4: A population distribution of tilt directional index for binocular profiles.
Figure 5: Relationships between motion and depth tuning.
Figure 6: An explanation of the Pulfrich effect based on neurons tuned to motion and binocular disparity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank G. DeAngelis for helpful comments and suggestions. This work was supported by research and CORE grants from the National Eye Institute (EY-01175 and EY-03176).

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Author notes

  1. Akiyuki Anzai

    Present address: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA

  2. Izumi Ohzawa

    Present address: Department of Biophysical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-8531, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group in Vision Science, School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-2020, California, USA

    Akiyuki Anzai, Izumi Ohzawa & Ralph D. Freeman

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  1. Akiyuki Anzai
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Correspondence to Ralph D. Freeman.

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Anzai, A., Ohzawa, I. & Freeman, R. Joint-encoding of motion and depth by visual cortical neurons: neural basis of the Pulfrich effect. Nat Neurosci 4, 513–518 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/87462

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