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Olenick CE, Jordan H, Fallah M. Identifying a distractor produces object-based inhibition in an allocentric reference frame for saccade planning. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17534. [PMID: 39080430 PMCID: PMC11289134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68734-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether distractor inhibition occurs relative to the target or fixation in a perceptual decision-making task using a purely saccadic response. Previous research has shown that during the process of discriminating a target from distractor, saccades made to a target deviate towards the distractor. Once discriminated, the distractor is inhibited, and trajectories deviate away from the distractor. Saccade deviation magnitudes provide a sensitive measure of target-distractor competition dependent on the distance between them. While saccades are planned in an egocentric reference frame (locations represented relative to fixation), object-based inhibition has been shown to occur in an allocentric reference frame (objects represented relative to each other independent of fixation). By varying the egocentric and allocentric distances of the target and distractor, we found that only egocentric distances contributed to saccade trajectories shifts towards the distractor during active decision-making. When the perceptual decision-making process was complete, and the distractor was inhibited, both ego- and allocentric distances independently contributed to saccade trajectory shifts away from the distractor. This is consistent with independent spatial and object-based inhibitory mechanisms. Therefore, we suggest that distractor inhibition is maintained in cortical visual areas with allocentric maps which then feeds into oculomotor areas for saccade planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coleman E Olenick
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
- Canadian Action and Perception Network, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Heather Jordan
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Mazyar Fallah
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Action and Perception Network, Toronto, Canada
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2
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Cavanagh P, Caplovitz GP, Lytchenko TK, Maechler MR, Tse PU, Sheinberg DL. The Architecture of Object-Based Attention. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:1643-1667. [PMID: 37081283 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02281-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The allocation of attention to objects raises several intriguing questions: What are objects, how does attention access them, what anatomical regions are involved? Here, we review recent progress in the field to determine the mechanisms underlying object-based attention. First, findings from unconscious priming and cueing suggest that the preattentive targets of object-based attention can be fully developed object representations that have reached the level of identity. Next, the control of object-based attention appears to come from ventral visual areas specialized in object analysis that project downward to early visual areas. How feedback from object areas can accurately target the object's specific locations and features is unknown but recent work in autoencoding has made this plausible. Finally, we suggest that the three classic modes of attention may not be as independent as is commonly considered, and instead could all rely on object-based attention. Specifically, studies show that attention can be allocated to the separated members of a group-without affecting the space between them-matching the defining property of feature-based attention. At the same time, object-based attention directed to a single small item has the properties of space-based attention. We outline the architecture of object-based attention, the novel predictions it brings, and discuss how it works in parallel with other attention pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cavanagh
- Department of Psychology, Glendon College, 2275 Bayview Avenue, North York, ON, M4N 3M6, Canada.
- CVR, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | - David L Sheinberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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3
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Wu X, Liu M, Wang A, Zhang M. Different attentional focus sizes modulate the size-eccentricity effect. Psych J 2023; 12:25-33. [PMID: 36167945 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The size-eccentricity effect is a perceptual distortion phenomenon in which a peripherally located object is perceived to be smaller than a centrally located object. Although the increase in apparent object size caused by attention has been documented, little is known about the effect of different sizes of attentional focus on object appearance. The present study investigated how different sizes of attentional focus affect the size-eccentricity effect using a spatial pre-cueing paradigm. Additionally, we examined the influence of different task types on size perception. A peripheral object following a small attentional focus appeared larger, without observation of the size-eccentricity effect. In contrast, a peripheral object appeared smaller following a large attentional focus in both larger and smaller judgement tasks. These results suggest that the relative size of the attentional focus has opposite effects on the perception of object size, independent of task type. Furthermore, in addition to the structural properties of the retina and the locus of attention, the size of attentional focus determines the extent to which an object appears smaller in the periphery. The present study complements the attentional attraction field model of the size and density of population receptive fields in V1 and further explains how the effect of attention is restricted by retinal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaogang Wu
- Department of Psychology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Mingyuan Liu
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Aijun Wang
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
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Yoo SA, Martinez-Trujillo JC, Treue S, Tsotsos JK, Fallah M. Attention to visual motion suppresses neuronal and behavioral sensitivity in nearby feature space. BMC Biol 2022; 20:220. [PMID: 36199136 PMCID: PMC9535987 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01428-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Feature-based attention prioritizes the processing of the attended feature while strongly suppressing the processing of nearby ones. This creates a non-linearity or “attentional suppressive surround” predicted by the Selective Tuning model of visual attention. However, previously reported effects of feature-based attention on neuronal responses are linear, e.g., feature-similarity gain. Here, we investigated this apparent contradiction by neurophysiological and psychophysical approaches. Results Responses of motion direction-selective neurons in area MT/MST of monkeys were recorded during a motion task. When attention was allocated to a stimulus moving in the neurons’ preferred direction, response tuning curves showed its minimum for directions 60–90° away from the preferred direction, an attentional suppressive surround. This effect was modeled via the interaction of two Gaussian fields representing excitatory narrowly tuned and inhibitory widely tuned inputs into a neuron, with feature-based attention predominantly increasing the gain of inhibitory inputs. We further showed using a motion repulsion paradigm in humans that feature-based attention produces a similar non-linearity on motion discrimination performance. Conclusions Our results link the gain modulation of neuronal inputs and tuning curves examined through the feature-similarity gain lens to the attentional impact on neural population responses predicted by the Selective Tuning model, providing a unified framework for the documented effects of feature-based attention on neuronal responses and behavior. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01428-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Ah Yoo
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada. .,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada. .,Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
| | - Julio C Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada. .,Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Centre - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, 37073, Goettingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - John K Tsotsos
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Vision: Science to Application, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Center for Innovation and Computing at Lassonde, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Mazyar Fallah
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Vision: Science to Application, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.,Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Ramezanpour H, Fallah M. The role of temporal cortex in the control of attention. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 3:100038. [PMID: 36685758 PMCID: PMC9846471 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention is an indispensable component of active vision. Contrary to the widely accepted notion that temporal cortex processing primarily focusses on passive object recognition, a series of very recent studies emphasize the role of temporal cortex structures, specifically the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and inferotemporal (IT) cortex, in guiding attention and implementing cognitive programs relevant for behavioral tasks. The goal of this theoretical paper is to advance the hypothesis that the temporal cortex attention network (TAN) entails necessary components to actively participate in attentional control in a flexible task-dependent manner. First, we will briefly discuss the general architecture of the temporal cortex with a focus on the STS and IT cortex of monkeys and their modulation with attention. Then we will review evidence from behavioral and neurophysiological studies that support their guidance of attention in the presence of cognitive control signals. Next, we propose a mechanistic framework for executive control of attention in the temporal cortex. Finally, we summarize the role of temporal cortex in implementing cognitive programs and discuss how they contribute to the dynamic nature of visual attention to ensure flexible behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Ramezanpour
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,VISTA: Vision Science to Application, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Corresponding author. Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Mazyar Fallah
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,VISTA: Vision Science to Application, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada,Corresponding author. Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Wang S, Tripathy SP, Öğmen H. Capacity and Allocation across Sensory and Short-Term Memories. Vision (Basel) 2022; 6:vision6010015. [PMID: 35324600 PMCID: PMC8955927 DOI: 10.3390/vision6010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human memory consists of sensory memory (SM), short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). SM enables a large capacity, but decays rapidly. STM has limited capacity, but lasts longer. The traditional view of these memory systems resembles a leaky hourglass, the large top and bottom portions representing the large capacities of SM and LTM, whereas the narrow portion in the middle represents the limited capacity of STM. The “leak” in the top part of the hourglass depicts the rapid decay of the contents of SM. However, recently, it was shown that major bottlenecks for motion processing exist prior to STM, and the “leaky hourglass” model was replaced by a “leaky flask” model with a narrower top part to capture bottlenecks prior to STM. The leaky flask model was based on data from one study, and the first goal of the current paper was to test if the leaky flask model would generalize by using a different set of data. The second goal of the paper was to explore various block diagram models for memory systems and determine the one best supported by the data. We expressed these block diagram models in terms of statistical mixture models and, by using the Bayesian information criterion (BIC), found that a model with four components, viz., SM, attention, STM, and guessing, provided the best fit to our data. In summary, we generalized previous findings about early qualitative and quantitative bottlenecks, as expressed in the leaky flask model and showed that a four-process model can provide a good explanation for how visual information is processed and stored in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoying Wang
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80210, USA;
| | - Srimant P. Tripathy
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK;
| | - Haluk Öğmen
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80210, USA;
- Correspondence:
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