Neural correlates of spontaneous direction reversals in ambiguous apparent visual motion.

Full Abstract

Looking at bistable visual stimuli, the observer experiences striking transitions between two competing percepts while the physical stimulus remains the same. Using functional imaging techniques, it is therefore possible to isolate neural correlates of perceptual changes that are independent of the low-level aspects of the stimulus. Previous experiments have demonstrated distributed activations in human extrastriate visual cortex related to switches between competing percepts. Here we asked where extrastriate responses still occur with a bistable stimulus that minimizes the cognitive difference between the two percepts. We used the "spinning wheel illusion," a bistable apparent motion stimulus of which both possible percepts correspond to the same object, share the same center, and are perceived as identically patterned stimuli moving at the same speed and changing only in direction. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we analyzed the spatial distribution of event-related activations occurring during spontaneous reversals of perceived direction of motion. In accordance with earlier neuroimaging findings for bistable percepts, we observed event-related activations in several frontal and parietal areas, including the superior parietal cortex bilaterally, the right inferior parietal cortex, and the premotor and inferior frontal cortex of both hemispheres. Furthermore, we found bilateral activations in the occipitotemporal junction (hMT+/V5) and in the lateral occipital sulcus ("KO") posterior to hMT+/V5, but not in areas of the "ventral stream" of cortical visual processing. Our data suggest that, while a frontoparietal network subserves more general aspects in bistable visual perception, the activations in functionally specialized extrastriate visual cortex are highly category- or attribute-specific.(C)2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Sterzer, Philipp (P); Russ, Michael O (MO); Preibisch, Christine (C); Kleinschmidt, Andreas (A);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: NeuroImage (Neuroimage), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Apr; vol 15 (issue 4) : pp 908-16

Dates: Created 2002/03/21; Completed 2002/05/30; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11906231, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Attention - physiology
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Dominance, Cerebral - physiology
Echo-Planar Imaging
Female
Humans
Image Enhancement

Image Enhancement
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Motion Perception - physiology
Optical Illusions - physiology
Orientation - physiology
Visual Cortex - physiology
Visual Pathways - physiology

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.