Impact of sectorial hemifield occlusions on the motion perception of rotating snake illusion

This study investigates the impact of sectorial hemifield occlusions on the perception of the rotating snake illusion, a well-studied optical phenomenon. The rotating snake illusion induces the perception of movement in a static image and has been linked to cortical activation in areas such as hMT+ and MT. Binasal sectorial hemifield occlusions (BNO), which partially obscure the retina, have been explored in relation to mild traumatic brain injury and associated with increased visual evoked potentials. However, the mechanisms by which these occlusions modulate the perception of this illusion remain unclear. This study compared the effects of BNO and bitemporal occlusion (BTO) on the rotating snake illusion. Neurotypical participants rated the illusion's movement on a scale while being exposed to different occlusions. The results revealed that both BNO and BTO affect the perception of movement in the rotating snake illusion relative to baseline, but there was no evidence for a difference between these effects.