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| Research article summary (published 30 May 2003): |
Attentional selection of superimposed surfaces cannot be explained by modulation of the gain of color channels.
Full Abstract
When two differently colored, superimposed patterns of dots rotate in opposite directions, this yields the percept of two superimposed transparent surfaces. If observers are cued to attend to one set of dots, they are impaired in making judgments about the other set. Since the two sets of dots are overlapping, the cueing effect cannot be explained by spatial attention. This has led to the interpretation that the impairment reflects surface-based attentional selection. However, recent single-unit recording studies in monkeys have found that attention can modulate the gain of neurons tuned for features such as color. Thus, rather than reflecting the selection of a surface, the behavioral effects might simply reflect a reduction in the gain of color channels selective for the color of the uncued set of dots (feature-based attention), as if viewing the surfaces through a colored filter. If so, then the impairment should be eliminated when the two surfaces are made the same color. Instead, we find that the impairment persists with no reduction in strength. Our findings thus rule out the color gain explanation.
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Author information
Author/s: Mitchell, Jude F (JF); Stoner, Gene R (GR); Fallah, Mazyar (M); Reynolds, John H (JH);
Affiliation: Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037-1099, USA.
Grants: 1R01EY13802-01 (Agency:United States NEI)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Journal: Vision research (Vision Res), published in England. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-Jun; vol 43 (issue 12) : pp 1323-8
Dates: Created 2003/05/13; Completed 2003/08/12; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 12742102, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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