Visual looming syndrome

Visual looming syndrome is a problem with visual perception that causes people to inaccurately think that a stationary object is moving towards them, and might poke their eyes.

It is a neurological and muscular state, where faulty eye coordination causes the brain to interpret incoming information as a visual looming event (i.e. feeling that an object is approaching and might hit the eye). Because this condition is muscular in nature, anything that causes eye cooperation to fail, such as being tired, under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, or even minor differences in eye pressure or eyesight (e.g. nearsightedness), may be the cause of an episode. The trigger is usually a narrow or pointy object which is near enough to cause confusion in the eyes, or which is in front of an undetermined or busy background. Some peer to peer studies have indicated that certain conditions, such as nyctalopia or night blindness, may worsen the syndrome.[1]

Background

Looming is a term used in the study of perception, as it relates directly to psychology.[2] Looming refers to the rapid expansion in the size of any given image. As the image becomes increasingly large on the perceiver's retina, i.e., when an object looms, there is an automatic physiological response to perceive the object as an approaching object or surface, instead of one that is stationary or receding. The type of mirage described as looming, in which distant objects appear much nearer than they actually are, is explained in the same way as the image of the ship, except that the image is not inverted; the density variations may also act as a magnifying glass.

Visual looming, which is the expansion of the projection size of an object on the retina, is usually the indication of an approaching object.[3] It is normally perceived as a threat for a possible collision and is sufficient to elicit avoidance and escape behaviors in animals.[4] Also using the same basic principles in robotics have been successful.[5]

Causes

There have been hypotheses about visual looming syndrome to be linked with several neural and gastroenterology diseases, such as celiac disease, epilepsy and migraines. There have not been any empirical medical studies about the syndrome, though the consensus is all these may have affect on the muscular function of the eye, but most likely the visual looming syndrome is a separate symptom. There have been studies of a similar neurological situation. Gabbiani Peron has studied the "looming stimulus selectivity in a collision-detecting neuron".[6] Beverley Regan has studied "Binocular and monocular stimuli for motion in depth".[7] Moors P, Huygelier H, Wagemans J, de-Wit L, van Ee R; "Suppressed visual looming stimuli are not integrated with auditory looming signals"[8]

Peer to peer[9] studies have shown many common symptoms, such are "fear of pointy objects hitting the eye", "weird sensation behind the eyes", "difficulty in focusing on objects nearby, which are moving and are not operated by the observer, such as windscreen wipers or a pencil someone else is holding". In these studies visual looming syndrome is often referred as sharp edges eye syndrome (SEES).

See also

References

  1. ↑ Schiff, W., "Perception of impending collision; a study of visually directed avoidant behavior." Psychological Monographs, 1965, 79 Whole #604.
  2. ↑ Schiff, W., Caviness, J.A., & Gibson, J.J. "Persistent fear responses in rhesus monkeys to the optical stimulus of 'looming'." Science, 1962, 136, 982-983.
  3. ↑ Field D.T., Wann J.P.(2005). Perceiving time to collision activates the sensorimotor cortex. Current Biology, 15, 1–20
  4. ↑ [Caviness, Schiff, GibsonCaviness et al.1962]
  5. ↑ Sahin, Erol, "Visual Looming". Quantitative analysis of visual looming in Boston University Neurobotic
  6. ↑ Peron S., Gabbiani F.(2009). Spike frequency adaptation mediates looming stimulus selectivity in a collision-detecting neuron. Nature Neuroscience, 12, 318–326
  7. ↑ Regan D., Beverley K.I.(1979). Binocular and monocular stimuli for motion in depth: Changing-disparity and changing-size feed the same motion-in-depth stage. Vision Research, 19, 1331–1342
  8. ↑ Moors P, Huygelier H, Wagemans J, de-Wit L, van Ee R, 2015, "Suppressed visual looming stimuli are not integrated with auditory looming signals: Evidence from continuous flash suppression" i-Perception 6(1) 48–62; doi:10.1068/i0678
  9. ↑ "Hagan, John C., "Why do my eyes feel weird looking at certain objects" 2008
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