Open AccessEffect of visual attention on the properties of optokinetic nystagmus
Author(s) -
Kei Kanari,
Kiyomi Sakamoto,
Hirohiko Kaneko
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0175453
Subject(s) - optokinetic reflex , stimulus (psychology) , nystagmus , concentric , visual field , audiology , peripheral , fixation (population genetics) , physics , neuroscience , eye movement , psychology , medicine , cognitive psychology , mathematics , geometry , environmental health , population
It has been demonstrated that optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) gain increases through attention to peripheral motion when the central visual field is occluded. However, how the properties of OKN change when two areas containing motion in different directions are presented in the peripheral visual field is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether OKN corresponding to the attended motion in the periphery occurred while the observer was maintaining fixation at the center. We presented two areas with different directions of motion arranged on the left and right, top and bottom, or center and surrounding (concentric) areas in the display. Observers counted targets appearing on the attended area in the stimulus to maintain their attention on it. The results indicate that attention enhances the gain and frequency of OKN corresponding to the attended motion even in the case of stimuli having several areas with different directions of motion.