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Published on: October 27, 2016
Surround modulation in visual cortex can predict border-ownership selectivity: psychophysical study of
Tadashi Sugihara1, Yoshihisa Tsuji, Ko Sakai
1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
Summary
Surround modulation in early vision influences border ownership processing in the visual cortex. This study found that stimuli outside the adapted location systematically alter the border ownership tilt aftereffect, highlighting surround modulation's role in neural mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Neurons in the macaque visual cortex encode "border ownership" (BO), representing figure direction along contours.
- Cortical mechanisms for BO are unclear, but computational models suggest surround modulation in early vision is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To psychophysically investigate how stimuli outside the adapted location modulate the BO-dependent tilt aftereffect (BO-TAE).
- To relate these modulations to the strength of surround modulation observed in physiological experiments.
Main Methods:
- Psychophysical examination of the BO-TAE.
- Manipulation of stimuli at and outside the adapted location, varying orientation and spatial frequency.
Main Results:
- The strength of the BO-TAE systematically changed based on the orientation and spatial frequency differences between stimuli inside and outside the adapted location.
- This indicates a significant role for surround modulation in BO selectivity.
Conclusions:
- Surround modulation plays a crucial role in the neural mechanisms underlying border ownership selectivity in the visual cortex.
- Psychophysical evidence supports the importance of surround modulation for visual processing of figure-ground segregation.
