Early visual responses predict conscious face perception within and between subjects during binocular rivalry

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Perception

Background:

• Previous research suggests conscious perception involves neural activity over a broad time window (170-800 ms).
• Many studies confound conscious experience with physical stimulation changes.
• Binocular rivalry is a paradigm to study conscious perception shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the precise neural correlates of conscious face perception.
• To determine the temporal and spatial specificity of these neural signals.
• To investigate the inter-individual consistency of neural activity related to conscious content.

Main Methods:

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were collected from participants experiencing binocular rivalry.
• Multivariate classification was used to decode conscious perception from MEG signals.
• Source space analysis was performed to localize neural activity.

Main Results:

• MEG signals between 120-320 ms, peaking at M170 and P2m, reliably predicted conscious face perception.
• Conscious perception was decoded from patterns across occipital sensors, not just the strongest individual signals.
• Early and late visual system sources were more accurate predictors than frontal and parietal sites.
• Neural activity patterns for conscious face perception showed inter-individual generalization.

Conclusions:

• The neural correlates of conscious face perception are specific in time (120-320 ms) and space.
• These neural signatures are consistent within individuals and partially shared across individuals.
• This study refines our understanding of the timing and location of neural activity underpinning conscious experience.