Relation between static and dynamic aspects of vergence, estimated with a subjective test using flashed dichoptic nonius lines

Abstract

The psychophysical technique for measuring vergence with dichoptic nonius lines was used to investigate dynamic responses to step vergence stimuli. Liquid crystal shutter glasses were operated with a cathode ray tube monitor to present convergent or divergent step stimuli of 32 min arc at t = 0. The resulting initial vergence response was estimated with nonius lines that appeared for 80 ms at a fixed delay of 400 ms after the vergence step stimulus. The vergence state reached 400 ms after the step depended on the vergence accuracy assumed before the step, i.e. baseline fixation disparity (FD). The following physiologically plausible results were found: (i) the amount of dynamic vergence changes within 400 ms tended to be negatively correlated between the convergent and divergent direction; (ii) subjects with a smaller convergent dynamic change had a steeper proximity-FD curve measured with static fusion targets as a function of viewing distance; (iii) FD was more eso or more exo depending on whether the vergence change was larger in the convergent or divergent direction respectively.