Neural model of temporal and stochastic properties of binocular rivalry

There is an intriguing temporal and stochastic relationship between stimulu s strength and dominance duration in binocular rivalry (Blake, Psychol. Rev . 96 (1989) 145; Blake, Fox, McIntyre, J. Exp. Psychol. 88 (1971) 327; Leve lt, 1965; Muller, Blake, Biol. Cybernet. 61 (1989) 223). Increasing the sti mulus strength in the ipsilateral eye decreases the dominance duration of t he stimulus in the contralateral eye. But, the dominance duration of the st imulus in the ipsilateral eye remains unchanged, and the alternation rate i ncreases. In addition, during binocular rivalry successive dominance durati ons are independent. A simple neuro-biologically plausible cortical neural circuit exhibiting these characteristic properties is presented. In the mod el, the ipsilateral stimulus dominance duration is controlled by the contra lateral stimulus strength. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.