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Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

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.
Gestalt Principles of Perception01:21

Gestalt Principles of Perception

Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association 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,...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor 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.
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
Visual Agnosia01:12

Visual 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"...

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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
07:08

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Figure-ground representation and its decay in primary visual cortex.

Lars Strother1, Cheryl Lavell, Tutis Vilis

  • 1The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7. lstroth@uwo.ca

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|January 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals how the brain represents figures against backgrounds in the primary visual cortex (V1). This representation persists after the figure disappears, but eventually decays, influencing perceptual memory.

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Last Updated: May 26, 2026

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Published on: August 1, 2018

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Understanding figure-ground segregation is crucial for visual perception.
  • The neural mechanisms underlying the persistence and decay of visual representations remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural basis of figure-ground representation and its decay in the primary visual cortex (V1) using fMRI.
  • To examine the temporal dynamics of neural responses to figure and background elements.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to measure brain activity in human observers.
  • Participants viewed a motion-defined figure that became camouflaged against a background.
  • fMRI responses in V1 were analyzed for both figure and background stimuli.

Main Results:

  • V1 exhibited distinct positive fMRI responses to the figure and negative responses to the background.
  • This figure-ground representation in V1 persisted after the figure ceased moving and was retinotopically organized.
  • Figure-related responses showed sustained elevation and decay dynamics distinct from background responses.

Conclusions:

  • The findings demonstrate a persistent, retinotopically organized figure-ground representation in V1 that decays over time.
  • Sustained neural activity in V1 reflects both the perceptual representation and attentional focus on the figure's location.
  • The decay of both figure enhancement and background suppression in V1 contributes to the fading of visual percepts and perceptual memory.