Neugebauer A.

Zentrum für Augenheilkunde, Abteilung für Schielbehandlung und Neuroophthalmologie, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, 50933 Köln

Since the introduction of the stereoscope by Wheatstone in the middle of the 19th century a multitude of examinations concerning depth perception has been perfomed. By psychophysical experiments especially stereothreshold as a main parameter of depth perception has been investigated. In the 50ies of the 20th century Ogle developed concepts differentiating two categories of stereoscopic vision: Qualitative, coarse stereopsis and quantitative, fine stereopsis. Julesz in the 60ies introduced random-dot stereograms for testing sterovision. A model was proposed which separated local from global stereopsis. With this also non-cyclopean and cyclopean vision were mentioned. Tyler clarified these notions and analyzed the phenomena of global stereopsis. With the tremendous achievements of neurophysiology, in the 60ies and 70ies information from the up to then mainly psychophysical experiments was extended by information from neurophysiologic studies. Barlow postulated neurons selective to binocular disparity. The studies by Poggio yielded results concerning different classes of disparity-sensitive neurons. In the 80ies a refined analysis of the visual afferent pathways in regard to magnocellular and parvocellular processing streams was perfomed. Tyler connected the former concepts of stereovision with the ideas of visual processing streams. Tychsen developed models that allowed a neurophysiological view on phenomena of pathologies in binocular vision. The lecture reports the findings of the main studies concerning the above mentioned theories and aims at a summary of the findings of present studies in order to define the position of current theories on the neurophysiology and pathophysiology of stereovision.

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