RESUMEN
The perception of an object as a single entity within a visual scene requires that its features are bound together and segregated from the background and/or other objects. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to assess the hypothesis that coherent percepts may arise from the synchronized high frequency (gamma) activity between neurons that code features of the same object. We also assessed the role of low frequency (alpha, beta) activity in object processing. The target stimulus (i.e. object) was a small patch of a concentric grating of 3c/°, viewed eccentrically. The background stimulus was either a blank field or a concentric grating of 3c/° periodicity, viewed centrally. With patterned backgrounds, the target stimulus emerged--through rotation about its own centre--as a circular subsection of the background. Data were acquired using a 275-channel whole-head MEG system and analyzed using Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM), which allows one to generate images of task-related cortical oscillatory power changes within specific frequency bands. Significant oscillatory activity across a broad range of frequencies was evident at the V1/V2 border, and subsequent analyses were based on a virtual electrode at this location. When the target was presented in isolation, we observed that: (i) contralateral stimulation yielded a sustained power increase in gamma activity; and (ii) both contra- and ipsilateral stimulation yielded near identical transient power changes in alpha (and beta) activity. When the target was presented against a patterned background, we observed that: (i) contralateral stimulation yielded an increase in high-gamma (>55 Hz) power together with a decrease in low-gamma (40-55 Hz) power; and (ii) both contra- and ipsilateral stimulation yielded a transient decrease in alpha (and beta) activity, though the reduction tended to be greatest for contralateral stimulation. The opposing power changes across different regions of the gamma spectrum with 'figure/ground' stimulation suggest a possible dual role for gamma rhythms in visual object coding, and provide general support of the binding-by-synchronization hypothesis. As the power changes in alpha and beta activity were largely independent of the spatial location of the target, however, we conclude that their role in object processing may relate principally to changes in visual attention.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiología , Percepción de Forma/fisiología , Percepción Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Algoritmos , Ritmo alfa/fisiología , Ritmo beta/fisiología , Mapeo Encefálico , Potenciales Evocados Visuales/fisiología , Femenino , Fijación Ocular/fisiología , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Magnetoencefalografía , Masculino , Estimulación Luminosa , Corteza Visual/fisiología , Análisis de OndículasRESUMEN
We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the nature of oscillatory brain rhythms when passively viewing both illusory and real visual contours. Three stimuli were employed: a Kanizsa triangle; a Kanizsa triangle with a real triangular contour superimposed; and a control figure in which the corner elements used to form the Kanizsa triangle were rotated to negate the formation of illusory contours. The MEG data were analysed using synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) to enable the spatial localisation of task-related oscillatory power changes within specific frequency bands, and the time-course of activity within given locations-of-interest was determined by calculating time-frequency plots using a Morlet wavelet transform. In contrast to earlier studies, we did not find increases in gamma activity (>30 Hz) to illusory shapes, but instead a decrease in 10-30 Hz activity approximately 200 ms after stimulus presentation. The reduction in oscillatory activity was primarily evident within extrastriate areas, including the lateral occipital complex (LOC). Importantly, this same pattern of results was evident for each stimulus type. Our results further highlight the importance of the LOC and a network of posterior brain regions in processing visual contours, be they illusory or real in nature. The similarity of the results for both real and illusory contours, however, leads us to conclude that the broadband (<30 Hz) decrease in power we observed is more likely to reflect general changes in visual attention than neural computations specific to processing visual contours.
Asunto(s)
Relojes Biológicos/fisiología , Mapeo Encefálico , Percepción de Forma/fisiología , Ilusiones/fisiología , Corteza Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Biofisica , Potenciales Evocados Visuales/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Magnetoencefalografía , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estimulación Luminosa/métodos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used to alleviate chronic pain. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the mechanisms of DBS for pain is difficult because of the artefact caused by the stimulator. We were able to record activity over the occipital lobe of a patient using DBS for phantom limb pain during presentation of a visual stimulus. This demonstrates that MEG can be used to study patients undergoing DBS provided control stimuli are used to check the reliability of the data. We then asked the patient to rate his pain during and off DBS. Correlations were found between these ratings and power in theta (6-9) and beta bands (12-30). Further, there was a tendency for frequencies under 25 Hz to correlate with each other after a period off stimulation compared with immediately after DBS. The results are interpreted as reflecting abnormal thalamocortical dynamics, previously implicated in painful syndromes.
Asunto(s)
Corteza Cerebral/fisiopatología , Estimulación Encefálica Profunda/efectos adversos , Magnetoencefalografía , Manejo del Dolor , Dolor/patología , Tálamo/fisiopatología , Adulto , Mapeo Encefálico , Potenciales Evocados Visuales , Femenino , Análisis de Fourier , Humanos , Dolor/etiología , Dimensión del Dolor , Miembro Fantasma/complicaciones , Miembro Fantasma/terapia , Estimulación Luminosa/métodosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new technique for co-registration of Magnetoencephalography (MEG) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We compare the accuracy of a new bite-bar with fixed fiducials to a previous technique whereby fiducial coils were attached proximal to landmarks on the skull. METHODS: A bite-bar with fixed fiducial coils is used to determine the position of the head in the MEG co-ordinate system. Co-registration is performed by a surface-matching technique. The advantage of fixing the coils is that the co-ordinate system is not based upon arbitrary and operator dependent fiducial points that are attached to landmarks (e.g. nasion and the preauricular points), but rather on those that are permanently fixed in relation to the skull. RESULTS: As a consequence of minimizing coil movement during digitization, errors in localization of the coils are significantly reduced, as shown by a randomization test. Displacement of the bite-bar caused by removal and repositioning between MEG recordings is minimal ( approximately 0.5 mm), and dipole localization accuracy of a somatosensory mapping paradigm shows a repeatability of approximately 5 mm. The overall accuracy of the new procedure is greatly improved compared to the previous technique. CONCLUSIONS: The test-retest reliability and accuracy of target localization with the new design is superior to techniques that incorporate anatomical-based fiducial points or coils placed on the circumference of the head.
Asunto(s)
Procesamiento de Imagen Asistido por Computador , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Magnetoencefalografía , Técnicas Estereotáxicas/instrumentación , Encéfalo/anatomía & histología , Recolección de Datos , Diseño de Equipo , Cabeza , Humanos , Método de Montecarlo , Postura , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Técnicas Estereotáxicas/normasRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to use the technique of magnetoencephalography (MEG) to determine the effects of strabismic amblyopia on the processing of spatial information within the occipital cortex of humans. We recorded evoked magnetic responses to the onset of a chromatic (red/green) sinusoidal grating of periodicity 0.5-4.0 c deg-1 using a 19-channel SQUID-based neuromagnetometer. Evoked responses were recorded monocularly on six amblyopes and six normally-sighted controls, the stimuli being positioned near the fovea in the lower right visual field of each observer. For comparison, the spatial contrast sensitivity function (CSF) for the detection of chromatic gratings was measured for one amblyope and one control using a two alternate forced-choice psychophysical procedure. We chose red/green sinusoids as our stimuli because they evoke strong magnetic responses from the occipital cortex in adult humans (Fylan, Holliday, Singh, Anderson & Harding. (1997). Neuroimage, 6, 47-57). Magnetic field strength was plotted as a function of stimulus spatial frequency for each eye of each subject. Interocular differences were only evident within the amblyopic group: for stimuli of 1-2 c deg-1, the evoked responses had significantly longer latencies and reduced amplitudes through the amblyopic eye (P < 0.05). Importantly, the extent of the deficit was uncorrelated with either Snellen acuity or contrast sensitivity. Localization of the evoked responses was performed using a single equivalent current dipole model. Source localizations, for both normal and amblyopic subjects, were consistent with neural activity at the occipital pole near the V1/V2 border. We conclude that MEG is sensitive to the deficit in cortical processing associated with human amblyopia, and can be used to make quantitative neurophysiological measurements. The nature of the cortical deficit is discussed.
Asunto(s)
Ambliopía/fisiopatología , Magnetoencefalografía , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos/fisiología , Estrabismo/fisiopatología , Corteza Visual/fisiopatología , Adulto , Percepción de Color/fisiología , Sensibilidad de Contraste/fisiología , Potenciales Evocados Visuales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , PsicofísicaRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to establish whether there is non-geniculostriate input to the extrastriate motion-sensitive area V5 in humans. Responses were measured with a SQUID neuro-magnetometer to motion stimuli presented within the blind hemifield of GY, a well-documented subject with a complete absence of the left primary visual cortical area V1. The motion stimulus was a 0.5c/deg, rapidly drifting (16Hz) achromatic sinusoidal grating. With this stimulus, the magnetic responses recorded over the temporo-parieto-occipital region in normals are well modelled by localized current sources in areas V1 and V5 (Anderson, S. J. et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, Series B, 1996, 263, 423-431). As a control, evoked responses were measured to a 1.0 c/deg, stationary, photometrically isoluminant red/green sinusoidal grating. With the chromatic stimulus, the principal component of the magnetic responses recorded over the occipital pole in normals is well modelled by a current source in area V1 (Fylan, F. et al., Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 1995, 36, s1053). Both stimuli subtended 4 deg vertically by 6 deg horizontally, positioned such that the stimulus extended beyond the area of macular sparing into the lower field quadrant of the blind (or sighted) hemifield. Chromatic stimuli failed to evoked responses from GY's blind (contralateral) hemifield, consistent with there being no V1 activity in his left cortical hemisphere. However, motion stimuli did evoke responses from GY's blind hemifield, originating from a location consistent with activity in area V5. We further observed that both colour and motion stimuli evoked responses from GY's sighted (ipsilateral) hemifield. We conclude that there is non-geniculostriate input to extrastriate motion-sensitive areas in the human visual system, and that this pathway subserves the residual visual sensitivity to motion in the blind hemifield that has been demonstrated psychophysically in observer GY.
Asunto(s)
Corteza Cerebral/fisiopatología , Hemianopsia/fisiopatología , Percepción Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Potenciales Evocados Visuales/fisiología , Humanos , Magnetoencefalografía , MasculinoRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to determine the response properties of the human visual cortex to chromatic stimuli using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Evoked responses were recorded to isoluminant red/green sinusoidal gratings for a wide range of spatial and temporal frequencies. For each condition the response was dominated by a single major component which was well modeled by an equivalent current dipole. Coregistration of MEG and MRI data provided evidence that the principal evoked cortical activity originated from visual area V1. To investigate the chromatic response properties of this area, the maximum global field power of the evoked response was plotted as a function of stimulus spatial and temporal frequency. The spatial-frequency tuning was lowpass and the temporal-frequency tuning was multimodal, with peaks at 0 and 4 Hz. The results demonstrate the use of MEG as a technique for investigating activity from discrete regions of cortex.
Asunto(s)
Color , Magnetoencefalografía/métodos , Estimulación Luminosa , Corteza Visual/anatomía & histología , Corteza Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Potenciales Evocados Visuales/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Método de Montecarlo , Retina/fisiologíaRESUMEN
We present a Monte Carlo analysis method for evaluating MRI-MEG/EEG co-registration techniques. The method estimates the error in co-registration as a function of position within the brain. Using this analysis technique, we demonstrate the limitations of conventional head-based fiducial point methods, and propose a new strategy utilising a dental bite-bar incorporating accurately machined fiducial markers. Results presented demonstrate the improved accuracy of MEG/EEG to MRI co-registration using the bite-bar.
Asunto(s)
Encéfalo/fisiología , Electroencefalografía , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Magnetoencefalografía , Método de Montecarlo , Humanos , Estándares de ReferenciaRESUMEN
Using a multi-channel SQUID-based neuromagnetometer, we have determined the location, temporal dynamics and functional response properties of the human homologue of the primate cortical area V5 (MT). We provide evidence that area V5 in humans is located near the occipito-temporal border in a minor sulcus immediately below the superior temporal sulcus. this area is selective for low spatial frequencies ( < or = 4.0 c/deg), responds to a wide range of temporal frequencies ( < or = 35 Hz) and shows response saturation for stimulus contrasts greater than 10%. In addition, we find that this area is not responsive to purely chromatic patterns but is responsive to motion-contrast stimuli. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that area V5 in humans represents a stage of processing within the magnocellular pathway. We discuss our results in relation to the widespread belief that area V5 in humans is specifically concerned with motion perception.
Asunto(s)
Magnetoencefalografía/métodos , Corteza Visual/anatomía & histología , Corteza Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Modelos Neurológicos , Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Estimulación Luminosa , PrimatesRESUMEN
Elderly drivers often experience disability glare at night from the headlights of oncoming vehicles. To assess the effect of glare from vehicle headlights on visual performance for seeing moving targets, experiments were performed at night on a dimly lit road with observers seated in a stationary motor car viewing a computer-generated stimulus display at a distance of 23 m (the stopping distance for 50 kph). The display was set 2 m to the side of a second stationary car whose position on the road was that of an oncoming vehicle with respect to the observer. The headlights of the observer's car were on low-beam while those of those of the opposing car were switched off (contro condition), on lpw-beam or on high-beam. Experiments were performed using mean display luminances of 50 cd/m2 and 0.5 cd/m2. Spatial contrast sensitivity functions for the directional discrimination of drifting (8 Hz sinusoidal gratings were measured using three different viewing conditions: normal vision (binocular visual acuity (BVA) = 6/6); blurred vision (BVA = 6/9-); and simulated intraocular lens opacities (BVA = 6/6-). The data were fitted with an exponential function, which was extrapolated to 100% contrast to estimate dynamic visual acuity. The results show that simulated lens opacities, which have little or no effect on standard day time measures of visual acuity, have a marked effect on night-time measures of contrast sensitivity for moving targets. Taking into account the average luminance of objects lit by road lighting, we estimate that high-beam glare reduces maximum contrast sensitivity by an order of magnitude in persons affected by mild lens opacities, giving a dynamic acuity of 1.0 c/deg (6/180 Snellen equivalent) or less. From this and other studies we argue that there is now a strong case for the introduction of vehicle-licensing sight re-testing at regular intervals in the UK. In addition, we suggest that vehicle-licensing authorities consider the feasibility of introducing sight tests under night-time driving conditions.
Asunto(s)
Conducción de Automóvil , Iluminación , Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Adulto , Catarata/fisiopatología , Sensibilidad de Contraste , Discriminación en Psicología , Humanos , Masculino , Pruebas de Visión , Agudeza VisualRESUMEN
There have now been numerous reports of a spatial localization deficit in amblyopia but none so far have tackled (1) the relationship between the contrast sensitivity and spatial localization deficits and (2) whether the spatial localization deficit is best described in units of visual angle or in terms of the underlying filter size. These issues are germane because they lie at the very heart of our understanding of the underlying deficit in amblyopia. To answer these questions we use spatially bandpass stimuli so that we can readily compare detection and localization for the same stimuli at each of a number of spatial scales. For some amblyopes (all strabismics and a minority of anisometropes) the contrast sensitivity defect neither underlies nor covaries with the spatial localization deficit. In the majority of anisometropic amblyopes, the contrast sensitivity loss is a complete description. The spatial localization deficit in amblyopia is of two independent kinds; positional inaccuracy and positional distortion. The positional inaccuracy deficit which can occur in varying degrees in both strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia, affects all spatial scales equally and therefore is best thought of in terms of a constant fraction of the underlying filter size in the space-frequency plane. The positional distortion deficit which can also occur to varying degrees in both strabismic and anisometropic forms can not be easily understood within this metric at least for strabismics.
Asunto(s)
Ambliopía/psicología , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Anisometropía/psicología , Sensibilidad de Contraste/fisiología , Humanos , Umbral Sensorial/fisiología , Estrabismo/psicologíaRESUMEN
In this study we investigate the nature of the computations that underlie the encoding of spatial position by the human visual system. Specifically, we explore the relationship between alignment accuracy and spatial scale on the one hand, and between alignment accuracy and contrast on the other. We do this for stimuli where local luminance, local contrast, and orientation cues do not underlie performance. The results suggest that spatial localisation is independent of spatial scale and weakly dependent on contrast. We present subsequent models based on the properties of some classes of visual cortical neurones, namely multiplicative noise and contrast energy detection of complex cells, which describe the form of these relationships.
Asunto(s)
Sensibilidad de Contraste/fisiología , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Humanos , Modelos Neurológicos , Psicofísica , Umbral SensorialRESUMEN
Does the visual system represent stereoscopic depth purely as a map of local disparities, or does it explicitly represent local relationships of disparity, such as disparity gradients? Experiments are reported in which visual search for a target containing the same disparity range as other elements in the display, but differing in the relationship of the disparities (stereo slant), was used to determine whether the target showed 'pop-out' like a unitary feature, or the serial search characteristic of feature conjunctions. Each stereo pair of elements was selected randomly from a range of outline parallelograms leaning to the right or to the left, so that the target could not be identified using any monocular shape cue. Response times for detection of the target (present on 50% of the trials) were independent of the number of elements in the display. This result was confirmed by varying element size and spacing, and by using oblique crosses rather than parallelograms as stimuli. It is concluded that stereoscopically defined slant, or disparity gradient, can be processed and compared in parallel across the display, and acts in this respect as an explicit unitary visual property. This contrasts with findings in analogous experiments on movement, which show that targets defined by divergence or deformation of optic flow can only be identified by serial search.
Asunto(s)
Atención , Percepción de Profundidad , Ilusiones Ópticas , Orientación , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Disparidad Visual , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Humanos , PsicofísicaRESUMEN
The optic flow field can be described in terms of the local differential measures, divergence, deformation, and rotation, which are informative about observer motion and the 3-D structure of the environment. Does an explicit representation of these measures exist in human visual processing in the form of a feature map? Triesman's criteria were used to investigate this; ie is there 'pop-out' for a target defined as different in local divergence or deformation from surrounding elements, or is a serial search necessary? The stimulus arrays contained 3, 5, or 9 square or rectangular elements, which each underwent repeated cycles of expansion, contraction, or deformation. The time required to detect a target undergoing the opposite transformation increased steeply with the number of elements, implying very slow serial search. (The mean time was 210 ms per element for divergence targets and 542 ms per element for deformation). The process was clearly still serial when the density and number of elements was increased up to 48 in an array 2.16 deg x 2.16 deg. In contrast, a single line element undergoing the opposite direction of translation motion to the rest of the display did show pop-out. It is concluded that no parallel processes seem to exist which are sensitive to the spatial uniformity of divergence and of deformation of optic flow. These differential properties may be derived as conjunctions of signals from a primary process which extracts local velocity. This result contrasts with our findings for targets defined by stereo disparity gradient, which show parallel processing in analogous experiments.
Asunto(s)
Atención , Percepción de Profundidad , Cinestesia , Percepción de Movimiento , Orientación , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Adulto , Humanos , Psicofísica , Percepción del TamañoRESUMEN
Psychophysical methods developed for the investigation of spatial and temporal pathways in human vision have been applied in combination with the two-colour increment threshold technique of W. S. Stiles to study the way in which signals from blue-sensitive cones are transmitted along the visual pathways. A flicker sensitive spatio-temporal filter, designated 'ST2', has been examined by background modulation methods, and spatial filters sensitive to bars of a specific width by grating adaptation methods employing dichoptic presentation of stimuli. It is shown that the blue-sensitive (pi 3) spectral mechanism contributes to both classes of filter response, in a manner similar to that observed for the red-sensitive spectral mechanism. The binocularly driven, bar-sensitive filters have broad-band spectral response characteristics, thus the data demonstrate that signals arising in blue-sensitive cones converge onto a luminance channel. The results of this investigation, together with those previously published for a second (ST1) spatio-temporal filter, describe a variety of post-receptoral responses involving the pi 3 spectral mechanism.
Asunto(s)
Percepción de Color/fisiología , Células Fotorreceptoras/fisiología , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Vías Visuales , Humanos , PsicofísicaRESUMEN
We present psychophysical data measured for a single subject, who had a tumour in the left parieto-occipital region, located by CT scan and post-mortem study. Her vision was characterised by rapid fading during voluntary fixation of images located in the right hemifield. We describe a number of simple tests which we developed in order to study this phenomenon. The results of these tests established that significant loss of function occurs within 1 s of fixation and that the effects associated with fixation are spatially localised. We compare our subject's response characteristics with those observed in other cases of visual disturbance and we examine the possible underlying mechanisms which give rise to the rapid fading of her visual images.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Encefálicas/fisiopatología , Lóbulo Occipital , Lóbulo Parietal , Trastornos de la Visión/fisiopatología , Adulto , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Neoplasias Encefálicas/complicaciones , Neoplasias Encefálicas/diagnóstico por imagen , Percepción de Color , Femenino , Fijación Ocular , Humanos , Melanoma/complicaciones , Melanoma/fisiopatología , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Umbral Sensorial , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X , Trastornos de la Visión/etiologíaRESUMEN
We have studied visual detection of a circular target moving across a spatially and/or temporally modulated background. Illumination, It, for threshold detection of the target has been measured as a function of background modulation frequency and changes in It associated with background modulation provide a means of determining the frequency response characteristics of visual channels. Temporal frequency responses obtained with temporally modulated, spatially uniform backgrounds have pass-band characteristics and the temporal frequency for peak response increases with increase in mean background illumination. These temporal frequency responses resemble those of the de Lange (1954) filter, but the latter incorporates the incremental thresholds for steady backgrounds. The amplitude of this temporal response saturates at low (approximately 40%) background modulation, decreases to zero as the target velocity falls to zero, and is maximum for a circular target of diameter 2 degrees. The spatial characteristics of this temporal filter were measured with a background field consisting of alternate steady and flickering bars. The resulting spatial frequency curve peaks at 1 cycle deg-1 for all background illuminations and is independent of the background grating orientation. This spatial response differs significantly from the IMG spatial functions observed with a background grating (Barbur and Ruddock, 1980). The spatial and temporal responses reviewed above exhibit similar parametric variations and we therefore associate them with a single spatio-temporal filter, ST2. A second temporal response, with low-pass frequency characteristics, was observed with a background field consisting of two matched gratings, presented in spatial and temporal antiphase. This response has parametric properties similar to those of the IMG spatial response described previously by Barbur and Ruddock (1980), thus we associated the two sets of data with a single spatio-temporal filter, ST1. We show that the ST2 responses can be obtained by combining ST1 responses, and we present a network incorporating the two filters. We review other psychophysical studies which imply the activity of two spatio-temporal filters with properties of the kind revealed in our studies. We argue that filter ST1 has properties equivalent to those of X-type and filter ST2 has properties equivalent to those of Y-type electrophysiological mechanisms.
Asunto(s)
Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Visión Ocular/fisiología , Percepción Visual/fisiología , Adulto , Percepción de Profundidad/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos/fisiología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
We have used the psychophysical methods described in the first paper of this series (Holliday and Ruddock, 1983) to determine selected spatial and temporal response characteristics of the ST1 and ST2 filters for subjects suffering visual defects. Data are given for 19 amblyopes, an albino and a hemianope, and comparison data are also given for a number of subjects with normal vision. The ST1 spatial responses for both the "normal" and "amblyopic" eyes of 12 convergent strabismic amblyopes are displaced to low spatial frequencies compared to the normal curve, which implies that there is a loss of fine spatial tuning. In all but one subject, the curve for the "amblyopic" eye peaks at a spatial frequency lower than that for the "normal" eye, thus the former deviates further from the normal pattern than the latter. The ST1 spatial responses of 6 refractive amblyopes are also displaced to the low frequency side of the normal curve, although on average the shift is smaller than in the case of the strabismic amblyopes. For each subject, the response curve of the "amblyopic" eye peaks at a lower spatial frequency than does that for the "normal" eye. ST1 spatial responses were measured for targets located up to 30 degrees off-axis along the horizontal meridian and sample data are given for one strabismic and one refractive amblyope and for two normal subjects. It is concluded from these data that the changes in the spatial responses associated with amblyopia do not simply reflect eccentric fixation of the target. The ST2 spatial response was measured for the "normal" and "amblyopic" eyes of 9 amblyopes (7 strabismic and 2 refractive). There is no significant difference between the average amblyopic response and that of normal subjects, and only in one case does the response for an "amblyopic" eye peak at a frequency lower than the peak frequency for normal vision. The ST2 temporal response for 9 amblyopes shows no systematic deviations from the normal response. For the albino, both the ST1 and ST2 spatial responses peak at around 0.3 cycles deg-1, and both curves are displaced considerably to the low spatial frequency side of the normal ST2 spatial response. The albino's ST2 temporal response is essentially normal. Measurements for the hemianope's "blind" hemifield under conditions appropriate to the isolation of the ST1 and ST2 spatial responses reveal no tuning curves. The ST2 temporal response for the "blind" hemifield, however, is of large amplitude, with a peak at 2 Hz, well below the normal frequency response peak. It is argued that the loss of fine spatial tuning which occurs in the ST1, but not the ST2, spatial responses of the amblyopes is consistent with the sequential organisation of these two filter classes proposed by Holliday and Ruddock (1983). Further, for the only two subjects whose ST2 spatial response curves are displaced to abnormally low frequencies (the albino and a strabismic amblyope) the ST1 spatial response is shifted to low spatial frequencies compared to the normal ST2 curve...
Asunto(s)
Albinismo/fisiopatología , Ambliopía/fisiopatología , Hemianopsia/fisiopatología , Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Visión Ocular/fisiología , Percepción Visual/fisiología , Humanos , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos/fisiología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
This paper deals with a single male subject, M., who has a well-defined visual defect of a kind not previously described. The defect is associated with a potent inhibitory response to long-wavelength stimuli, which spreads for up to 12 deg from the area of stimulation, suppressing M.'s detection of other high contrast stimuli. The effect can also be observed, weakly, with certain other coloured stimuli, but not with yellows or whites. Detailed psychophysical data are given for threshold sensitivity, colour matching, two-colour increment thresholds and visual acuity, all of which are more or less abnormal, depending on the stimulus colour. No abnormal effects were, however, observed with white light stimuli. On the basis of M.'s ability to fuse red and green random dot stereogram pairs, we argue that the inhibition arises centrally in the visual pathways. and we examine the implications of M.'s response characteristics for the analysis of central visual processing.
Asunto(s)
Percepción de Color/fisiología , Defectos de la Visión Cromática/fisiopatología , Inhibición Neural , Adulto , Defectos de la Visión Cromática/psicología , Percepción de Profundidad/fisiología , Aprendizaje Discriminativo/fisiología , Dominancia Cerebral/fisiología , Percepción de Forma/fisiología , Humanos , Masculino , Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Estimulación Luminosa , Retina/fisiopatología , Umbral Sensorial , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Agudeza Visual , Vías Visuales/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
Measurements of threshold illumination levels for detection of retinally non-localised moving targets show that detection of a moving target is influenced by both the spatial and the temporal modulation of the background field. The temporal response characteristics obtained from these measurements are similar to those obtained from experiments on detection of temporal flicker. Experiments with spatially modulated background fields reveal visual mechanisms with spatial properties which are essentially independent of many stimulus parameters. The response amplitude of the spatial filter which characterises these mechanisms increases linearly as a function of background contrast and is independent of the relative orientation between the background structure and the direction of target movement. These properties are used to compute the two-dimensional spatial characteristics of mechanisms involved in the detection of moving targets.