Shape perception reduces activity in human primary visual cortex.

Full Abstract

Visual perception involves the grouping of individual elements into coherent patterns that reduce the descriptive complexity of a visual scene. The physiological basis of this perceptual simplification remains poorly understood. We used functional MRI to measure activity in a higher object processing area, the lateral occipital complex, and in primary visual cortex in response to visual elements that were either grouped into objects or randomly arranged. We observed significant activity increases in the lateral occipital complex and concurrent reductions of activity in primary visual cortex when elements formed coherent shapes, suggesting that activity in early visual areas is reduced as a result of grouping processes performed in higher areas. These findings are consistent with predictive coding models of vision that postulate that inferences of high-level areas are subtracted from incoming sensory information in lower areas through cortical feedback.

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Author information

Author/s: Murray, Scott O (SO); Kersten, Daniel (D); Olshausen, Bruno A (BA); Schrater, Paul (P); Woods, David L (DL);

Affiliation: Center for Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis 95616, USA. somurray(-atsign-)ucdavis.edu

Grants: MH-12791 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; MH-41544 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; MH-57921 (Agency:United States NIMH) ; P41 RR08079 (Agency:United States NCRR)

Journal and publication information

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

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 99 (issue 23) : pp 15164-9

Dates: Created 2002/11/13; Completed 2003/01/15; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12417754, 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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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Motion Perception - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Visual Cortex - physiology

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