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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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Matthews J, Schröder P, Kaunitz L, van Boxtel JJA, Tsuchiya N. Conscious access in the near absence of attention: critical extensions on the dual-task paradigm. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170352. [PMID: 30061465 PMCID: PMC6074075 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether conscious perception requires attention remains a topic of intense debate. While certain complex stimuli such as faces and animals can be discriminated outside the focus of spatial attention, many simpler stimuli cannot. Because such evidence was obtained in dual-task paradigms involving no measure of subjective insight, it remains unclear whether accurate discrimination of unattended complex stimuli is the product of automatic, unconscious processing, as in blindsight, or is accessible to consciousness. Furthermore, these paradigms typically require extensive training over many hours, bringing into question whether this phenomenon can be achieved in naive subjects. We developed a novel dual-task paradigm incorporating confidence ratings to calculate metacognition and adaptive staircase procedures to reduce training. With minimal training, subjects were able to discriminate face-gender in the near absence of top-down attentional amplification, while also displaying above-chance metacognitive accuracy. By contrast, the discrimination of simple coloured discs was significantly impaired and metacognitive accuracy dropped to chance-level, even in a partial-report condition. In a final experiment, we used blended face/disc stimuli and confirmed that face-gender but not colour orientation can be discriminated in the dual task. Our results show direct evidence for metacognitive conscious access in the near absence of attention for complex, but not simple, stimuli.This article is part of the theme issue 'Perceptual consciousness and cognitive access'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Matthews
- Cognition and Philosophy Lab, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Pia Schröder
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Lisandro Kaunitz
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jeroen J A van Boxtel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Maloney RT, Clifford CWG, Mareschal I. Directional Limits on Motion Transparency Assessed Through Colour-Motion Binding. Perception 2017; 47:254-275. [PMID: 29228853 DOI: 10.1177/0301006617745010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Motion-defined transparency is the perception of two or more distinct moving surfaces at the same retinal location. We explored the limits of motion transparency using superimposed surfaces of randomly positioned dots defined by differences in motion direction and colour. In one experiment, dots were red or green and we varied the proportion of dots of a single colour that moved in a single direction ('colour-motion coherence') and measured the threshold direction difference for discriminating between two directions. When colour-motion coherences were high (e.g., 90% of red dots moving in one direction), a smaller direction difference was required to correctly bind colour with direction than at low coherences. In another experiment, we varied the direction difference between the surfaces and measured the threshold colour-motion coherence required to discriminate between them. Generally, colour-motion coherence thresholds decreased with increasing direction differences, stabilising at direction differences around 45°. Different stimulus durations were compared, and thresholds were higher at the shortest (150 ms) compared with the longest (1,000 ms) duration. These results highlight different yet interrelated aspects of the task and the fundamental limits of the mechanisms involved: the resolution of narrowly separated directions in motion processing and the local sampling of dot colours from each surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Maloney
- School of Psychology, and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Psychology, The 8748 University of York , UK
| | - Colin W G Clifford
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Isabelle Mareschal
- School of Psychology, and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Experimental Psychology, 153399 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London , UK
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Rodríguez-Sánchez AJ, Fallah M, Leonardis A. Editorial: Hierarchical Object Representations in the Visual Cortex and Computer Vision. Front Comput Neurosci 2015; 9:142. [PMID: 26635595 PMCID: PMC4653288 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2015.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J Rodríguez-Sánchez
- Intelligent and Interactive Systems, Department of Computer Science, University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mazyar Fallah
- Visual Perception and Attention Laboratory, Centre for Vision Research, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aleš Leonardis
- School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK
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Perry CJ, Fallah M. Feature integration and object representations along the dorsal stream visual hierarchy. Front Comput Neurosci 2014; 8:84. [PMID: 25140147 PMCID: PMC4122209 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual system is split into two processing streams: a ventral stream that receives color and form information and a dorsal stream that receives motion information. Each stream processes that information hierarchically, with each stage building upon the previous. In the ventral stream this leads to the formation of object representations that ultimately allow for object recognition regardless of changes in the surrounding environment. In the dorsal stream, this hierarchical processing has classically been thought to lead to the computation of complex motion in three dimensions. However, there is evidence to suggest that there is integration of both dorsal and ventral stream information into motion computation processes, giving rise to intermediate object representations, which facilitate object selection and decision making mechanisms in the dorsal stream. First we review the hierarchical processing of motion along the dorsal stream and the building up of object representations along the ventral stream. Then we discuss recent work on the integration of ventral and dorsal stream features that lead to intermediate object representations in the dorsal stream. Finally we propose a framework describing how and at what stage different features are integrated into dorsal visual stream object representations. Determining the integration of features along the dorsal stream is necessary to understand not only how the dorsal stream builds up an object representation but also which computations are performed on object representations instead of local features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Jeane Perry
- Visual Perception and Attention Laboratory, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University Toronto, ON, Canada ; Centre for Vision Research, York University Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mazyar Fallah
- Visual Perception and Attention Laboratory, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University Toronto, ON, Canada ; Centre for Vision Research, York University Toronto, ON, Canada ; Departments of Biology and Psychology, York University Toronto, ON, Canada ; Canadian Action and Perception Network, York University Toronto, ON, Canada
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Vigano GJ, Maloney RT, Clifford CWG. Motion-defined surface segregation in human visual cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26:2479-89. [PMID: 24738771 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Surface segregation provides an efficient way to parse the visual scene for perceptual analysis. Here, we investigated the segregation of a bivectorial motion display into transparent surfaces through a psychophysical task and fMRI. We found that perceptual transparency correlated with neural activity in the early areas of the visual cortex, suggesting these areas may be involved in the segregation of motion-defined surfaces. Two oppositely rotating, uniquely colored random dot kinematograms (RDKs) were presented either sequentially or in a spatially interleaved manner, displayed at varying alternation frequencies. Participants reported the color and rotation direction pairing of the RDKs in the psychophysical task. The spatially interleaved display generated the percept of motion transparency across the range of frequencies tested, yielding ceiling task performance. At high alternation frequencies, performance on the sequential display also approached ceiling, indicative of perceived transparency. However, transparency broke down in lower alternation frequency sequential displays, producing performance close to chance. A corresponding pattern mirroring the psychophysical data was also evident in univariate and multivariate analyses of the fMRI BOLD activity in visual cortical areas V1, V2, V3, V3AB, hV4, and V5/MT+. Using gray RDKs, we found significant presentation by frequency interactions in most areas; differences in BOLD signal between presentation types were significant only at the lower alternation frequency. Multivariate pattern classification was similarly unable to discriminate between presentation types at the higher frequency. This study provides evidence that early visual cortex may code for motion-defined surface segregation, which in turn may enable perceptual transparency.
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Tsuchiya N, van Boxtel J. Introduction to research topic: attention and consciousness in different senses. Front Psychol 2013; 4:249. [PMID: 23641230 PMCID: PMC3640185 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash UniversityMelbourne, VIC, Australia
- Japan Science and Technology AgencyTokyo, Japan
| | - Jeroen van Boxtel
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Biology, California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA, USA
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