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VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation
Published on: March 25, 2011
Dissociable neural subsystems underlie visual working memory for abstract categories and specific exemplars
Chad J Marsolek1, E Darcy Burgund
1Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. chad.j.marsolek-1@umn.edu
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|April 15, 2008
Summary
This study investigated visual working memory for novel objects. Findings suggest separate brain systems process abstract and specific visual information, supporting the dissociable subsystems theory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The nature of visual object representation in the brain is debated, with theories proposing unified or separate systems for abstract and specific information.
- Previous evidence for separate systems often relied on familiar shapes, allowing alternative interpretations.
- Novel objects offer a way to circumvent these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate abstract and specific visual working memory using novel objects.
- To test the dissociable subsystems theory of visual object representation.
Main Methods:
- Participants engaged in visual working memory tasks using novel objects presented for the first and only time.
- Judgments were made regarding abstract visual category and specific visual exemplar matching.
- Stimuli were presented to either the left or right cerebral hemisphere.
Main Results:
- Higher accuracy for abstract category judgments with left hemisphere presentation.
- Higher accuracy for specific exemplar judgments with right hemisphere presentation.
- These results provide novel support for the dissociable subsystems theory.
Conclusions:
- Visual working memory for novel objects reveals hemispheric specialization.
- Abstract and specific visual information are processed in dissociable neural subsystems.
- This study provides the first visual working memory evidence for the dissociable subsystems theory.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Visual System
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
01:24Working Memory
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
01:24Vision
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
01:12Visual Agnosia
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...