The neural basis of depth perception from motion parallax

Abstract

In addition to depth cues afforded by binocular vision, the brain processes relative motion signals to perceive depth. When an observer translates relative to their visual environment, the relative motion of objects at different distances (motion parallax) provides a powerful cue to three-dimensional scene structure. Although perception of depth based on motion parallax has been studied extensively in humans, relatively little is known regarding the neural basis of this visual capability. We review recent advances in elucidating the neural mechanisms for representing depth-sign (near versus far) from motion parallax. We examine a potential neural substrate in the middle temporal visual area for depth perception based on motion parallax, and we explore the nature of the signals that provide critical inputs for disambiguating depth-sign. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in our three-dimensional world’.