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Extrageniculate contributions to reflex visual orienting in normal humans: a temporal hemifield advantage
1Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis and Martinez VAMC.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 24, 2013
Summary
The ancient retinotectal pathway helps direct visual attention in humans. Temporal hemifield cues showed greater attention benefits and costs, highlighting its role in visually guided behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
- Human Physiology
Background:
- The retinotectal pathway is an evolutionarily older visual system.
- It projects to the superior colliculus, distinct from the geniculostriate system.
- Lateralization in retinotectal pathways involves temporal hemifield projections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the retinotectal pathway in orienting visual attention.
- To examine if temporal hemifield advantages exist for attention.
- To utilize hemifield asymmetries to study extrageniculate vision.
Main Methods:
- Monocular viewing conditions were used.
- Subjects performed saccade or manual keypress responses to peripheral signals.
- Noninformative peripheral precues summoned attention, and attention benefits/costs were calculated.
- Temporal-nasal hemifield asymmetries were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Greater benefits and costs of attention were observed for signals in the temporal hemifield.
- This temporal hemifield advantage was consistent for both saccade and manual responses.
- Findings align with studies on patients with visual pathway lesions.
Conclusions:
- The phylogenetically older retinotectal pathway significantly contributes to reflex orienting of visual attention.
- Temporal-nasal hemifield asymmetries serve as a valuable marker for investigating extrageniculate visual processing in humans.
- This pathway remains crucial for controlling visually guided behavior.
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