Asymmetries in Global Perception Are Represented in Near- versus Far-Preferring Clusters in Human Visual Cortex

Human perception is more "global" when stimuli are viewed within the lower (rather than the upper) visual field. This phenomenon is typically considered as a 2-D phenomenon, likely due to differential neural processing within dorsal versus ventral cortical areas that represent lower versus upper visual fields, respectively. Here we test a novel hypothesis that this vertical asymmetry in global processing is a 3-D phenomenon associated with (1) higher ecological relevance of low-spatial frequency (SF) components in encoding near (compared with far) visual objects and (2) the fact that near objects are more frequently found in lower rather than upper visual fields. Using high-resolution fMRI, collected within an ultra-high-field (7 T) scanner, we found that the extent of vertical asymmetry in global visual processing in human subjects (n = 10) was correlated with the fMRI response evoked by disparity-varying stimuli in human cortical area V3A. We also found that near-preferring clusters in V3A, located within stereoselective cortical columns, responded more selectively than far-preferring clusters, to low-SF features. These findings support the hypothesis that vertical asymmetry in global processing is a 3-D (not a 2-D) phenomenon, associated with the function of the stereoselective columns within visual cortex, especially those located within visual area V3A.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we test and confirm a new hypothesis: fine-scale neural mechanisms underlying the vertical asymmetry in global visual processing. According to this hypothesis, the asymmetry in global visual processing is a 3-D (rather than a 2-D) phenomenon, reflected in the function of fine-scale cortical structures (clusters and columns) underlying depth perception. Our findings highlight the importance of considering these structures, as regions of interest, in clarifying the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception. The results also highlight the importance of statistics of natural scenes in shaping human visual perception.