Correlated and Anticorrelated Binocular Disparity Modulate GABA+ and Glutamate/glutamine Concentrations in the Human Visual Cortex

Abstract

Binocular disparity is used for perception and action in three dimensions. Neurons in the primary visual cortex respond to binocular disparity in random dot patterns, even when the contrast is inverted between eyes (false depth cue). In contrast, neurons in the ventral stream largely cease to respond to false depth cues. This study evaluated whether GABAergic inhibition is involved in suppressing false depth cues in the human ventral visual cortex. We compared GABAergic inhibition (GABA+) and glutamatergic excitation (Glx) during the viewing of correlated and anticorrelated binocular disparity in 18 participants using single voxel proton magnetic-resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Measurements were taken from the early visual cortex (EVC) and the lateral occipital cortex (LO). Three visual conditions were presented per voxel location: correlated binocular disparity; anticorrelated binocular disparity; or a blank grey screen with a fixation cross. To identify differences in neurochemistry, GABA+ or Glx levels were compared across viewing conditions. In EVC, correlated disparity increased Glx over anticorrelated and rest conditions, also mirrored in the Glx/GABA+ ratio. In LO, anticorrelated disparity decreased GABA+ and increased Glx. Joint effects on GABA+ and Glx were summarised by the Glx/GABA+ ratio, which showed increased excitatory over inhibitory drive to anticorrelated disparity in LO. Glx during viewing of anticorrelation in LO was predictive of its object-selective BOLD-activity. We provide evidence that early and ventral visual cortices change GABA+ and Glx concentrations during presentation of correlated and anticorrelated disparity, suggesting a contribution of cortical excitation and inhibition in disparity selectivity. Significance StatementThe visual system must correctly match elements from the left and right eye for proper reconstruction of binocular depth. At the earliest part of binocular processing, false matches can activate depth detectors, however, the activation to false matches is absent in the ventral visual stream. We tested whether GABAergic inhibition contributes to the suppression of false matches in the ventral stream by measuring GABAergic inhibition and glutamatergic excitation in the human visual cortex during the presentation of correct and false matches. Correct matches increased excitation in response in the early visual cortex, and false matches increased excitation and decreased in the ventral visual cortex. These results suggest a role for excitation and inhibition in distinguishing depth cues for stereoscopic vision.