VISUAL 3D ILLUSION - A SYSTEMS-THEORETICAL APPROACH TO PSYCHOSIS

Binocular depth inversion represents an illusion of visual perception. Such an inversion does not occur in all cases, especially when object s with a higher degree of familiarity (e.g. photographs of faces) are displayed. Cognitive factors are assumed to override the binocular dis parity cues of stereopsis. We tested the hypothesis that during psycho tic and similar states the human CNS is unable to correct the implausi ble perceptual hypothesis. Measurements of binocular depth inversion i n perception of 3D objects were performed in schizophrenic patients (n = 13), in patients with alcohol withdrawal (n = 10), in sleep-deprive d medical staff (n = 10) and in healthy volunteers (n = 41). The binoc ular depth inversion scores were highly elevated in the patient group and in the sleep-deprivated medical staff in comparison with healthy v olunteers. The data demonstrate that impairment of binocular depth inv ersion reflects a common final pathway, characterized by an impairment of adaptive systems regulating perception.