Presaccadic Attention Depends on Eye Movement Direction and Is Related to V1 Cortical Magnification
Nina M Hanning1,2,3, Marc M Himmelberg4,2, Marisa Carrasco4,2
1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York 10003 hanning.nina@gmail.com.
Summary
Presaccadic attention, which normally enhances vision before eye movements, is surprisingly absent before upward saccades. This lack of presaccadic attention may be linked to how the brain processes the upper visual field.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Vision Science
Background:
- Saccadic eye movements bring information to the fovea for high acuity processing.
- Presaccadic attention shifts to upcoming fixation points, enhancing perception before eye movements.
- The link between saccades and attention is considered crucial for integrating visual information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if presaccadic attention varies with saccade direction.
- To examine the effect of saccade direction on visual performance and neural processing.
- To explore potential neural mechanisms underlying directional differences in presaccadic attention.
Main Methods:
- Measured contrast response functions during fixation and saccade preparation.
- Assessed behavioral correlates of presaccadic attention, including visual performance.
- Analyzed individual differences in relation to primary visual cortex surface area.
Main Results:
- The typical presaccadic attention benefit was absent before upward saccades at the group level.
- Some individuals even exhibited a performance cost before upward saccades.
- Reduced presaccadic sensitivity for upward saccades correlated with larger V1 representations of the upper vertical meridian.
Conclusions:
- Presaccadic attention is not uniformly applied across all saccade directions.
- The lack of presaccadic attention before upward saccades might involve a compensatory mechanism for neural resource allocation.
- Further research is needed to understand perceptual continuity and accurate targeting during upward saccades.
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