scholarly journals A neural locus for spatial-frequency specific saccadic suppression in visual-motor neurons of the primate superior colliculus

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 1657-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Yang Chen ◽  
Ziad M. Hafed
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Saccadic Suppression ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Visual Motor

Saccades cause rapid retinal-image shifts that go perceptually unnoticed several times per second. The mechanisms for saccadic suppression have been controversial, in part because of sparse understanding of neural substrates. In this study we uncovered an unexpectedly specific neural locus for spatial frequency-specific saccadic suppression in the superior colliculus (SC). We first developed a sensitive behavioral measure of suppression in two macaque monkeys, demonstrating selectivity to low spatial frequencies similar to that observed in earlier behavioral studies. We then investigated visual responses in either purely visual SC neurons or anatomically deeper visual motor neurons, which are also involved in saccade generation commands. Surprisingly, visual motor neurons showed the strongest visual suppression, and the suppression was dependent on spatial frequency, as in behavior. Most importantly, suppression selectivity for spatial frequency in visual motor neurons was highly predictive of behavioral suppression effects in each individual animal, with our recorded population explaining up to ~74% of behavioral variance even on completely different experimental sessions. Visual SC neurons had mild suppression, which was unselective for spatial frequency and thus only explained up to ~48% of behavioral variance. In terms of spatial frequency-specific saccadic suppression, our results run contrary to predictions that may be associated with a hypothesized SC saccadic suppression mechanism, in which a motor command in the visual motor and motor neurons is first relayed to the more superficial purely visual neurons, to suppress them and to then potentially be fed back to cortex. Instead, an extraretinal modulatory signal mediating spatial-frequency-specific suppression may already be established in visual motor neurons. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Saccades, which repeatedly realign the line of sight, introduce spurious signals in retinal images that normally go unnoticed. In part, this happens because of perisaccadic suppression of visual sensitivity, which is known to depend on spatial frequency. We discovered that a specific subtype of superior colliculus (SC) neurons demonstrates spatial-frequency-dependent suppression. Curiously, it is the neurons that help mediate the saccadic command itself that exhibit such suppression, and not the purely visual ones.

scholarly journals A Neural Locus for Perceptually-Relevant Saccadic Suppression in Visual-Motor Neurons of the Primate Superior Colliculus

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Yang Chen ◽  
Ziad M. Hafed
Keyword(s):  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Saccadic Suppression ◽  
Behavioral Measure ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Visual Neurons ◽  
Visual Motor

AbstractSaccadic eye movements cause rapid retinal-image shifts that go perceptually unnoticed several times per second. The mechanisms for perceptual saccadic suppression have been controversial, in part due to sparse understanding of neural substrates. Here we uncovered an unexpectedly specific neural locus for saccadic suppression in the primate superior colliculus (SC). We first developed a sensitive behavioral measure of perceptual suppression in two male macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta), demonstrating known selectivity to low spatial frequencies. We then investigated visual responses in either purely visual SC neurons or anatomically-deeper visual-motor neurons, which are also involved in saccade generation commands. Surprisingly, visual-motor neurons showed the strongest visual suppression, and the suppression was dependent on spatial frequency like in perception. Most importantly, visual-motor neuron suppression selectivity was highly predictive of behavioral suppression effects in each individual animal, with our recorded population explaining up to ~74% of behavioral variance even on completely different experimental sessions. In contrast, purely visual SC neurons only had mild and unselective suppression (only explaining up to ~48% of behavioral variance). These results run contrary to a hypothesized SC mechanism for saccadic suppression, in which a motor command in the visual-motor and motor neurons is relayed to the more superficial purely visual neurons to suppress them, and to then potentially be fed back to cortex. Instead, our results indicate that an extra-retinal modulatory signal mediating perceptual suppression is already established in visual-motor neurons.New & NoteworthySaccades, which repeatedly re-align the line of sight, introduce spurious signals in retinal images that normally go unnoticed. In part, this happens because of peri-saccadic suppression of visual sensitivity. Here we discovered that a specific sub-type of superior colliculus (SC) neurons may play a critical role in saccadic suppression. Curiously, it is the neurons that help mediate the saccadic command itself that exhibit perceptually-relevant changes in visual sensitivity, not the previously hypothesized purely visual neurons.

Envelope-responsive neurons in areas 17 and 18 of cat

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 2134-2150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. X. Zhou ◽  
C. L. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Narrow Range ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Sine Wave ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Sensitivity Level ◽  
Areas 17 And 18

1. Single cortical neurons are known to respond to visual stimuli containing Fourier components only in a narrow range of spatial frequencies. This investigation demonstrates that some neurons in cat area 17 and 18 can also respond to certain stimuli that have no Fourier components inside the cell's luminance spatial frequency passband. 2. To study such “non-Fourier” responses, we used envelope stimuli that consisted of a high-spatial-frequency sinusoidal luminance grating (carrier) whose contrast was modulated by a low-spatial frequency sine wave (envelope). There was no Fourier component at the apparent periodicity of the envelope spatial frequency. However, some cells responded to such a “phantom” component of the envelope modulation when it fell inside the cell's luminance spatial frequency passband while all the real Fourier components in the stimuli were outside. 3. We conducted extensive control experiments to eliminate the possibility of producing artifactual responses to the envelope stimuli due to any small residual nonlinearity of the z-linearized CRT screen. The control experiments included 1) testing of screen linearity to ensure that the effect from the residual screen nonlinearity was no larger than the sensitivity level of visual responses and 2) comparing the responses to envelope stimuli with the responses to the equivalent contrast of the artifact produced by the screen nonlinearity. All these control experiments indicated that any effect of screen nonlinearity did not contribute significantly to the neural envelope responses. 4. We performed a statistical analysis to obtain an index of relative strength of envelope responses for each cell and to objectively classify cells as “envelope-responsive” or “non-envelope-responsive.”(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

scholarly journals Greater magnocellular saccadic suppression in high versus low autistic tendency suggests a causal path to local perceptual style

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 150226 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Crewther ◽  
Daniel Crewther ◽  
Stephanie Bevan ◽  
Melvyn A. Goodale ◽  
Sheila G. Crewther
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Evoked Potential ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Saccadic Suppression ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
General Description ◽  
Perceptual Style

Saccadic suppression—the reduction of visual sensitivity during rapid eye movements—has previously been proposed to reflect a specific suppression of the magnocellular visual system, with the initial neural site of that suppression at or prior to afferent visual information reaching striate cortex. Dysfunction in the magnocellular visual pathway has also been associated with perceptual and physiological anomalies in individuals with autism spectrum disorder or high autistic tendency, leading us to question whether saccadic suppression is altered in the broader autism phenotype. Here we show that individuals with high autistic tendency show greater saccadic suppression of low versus high spatial frequency gratings while those with low autistic tendency do not. In addition, those with high but not low autism spectrum quotient (AQ) demonstrated pre-cortical (35–45 ms) evoked potential differences (saccade versus fixation) to a large, low contrast, pseudo-randomly flashing bar. Both AQ groups showed similar differential visual evoked potential effects in later epochs (80–160 ms) at high contrast. Thus, the magnocellular theory of saccadic suppression appears untenable as a general description for the typically developing population. Our results also suggest that the bias towards local perceptual style reported in autism may be due to selective suppression of low spatial frequency information accompanying every saccadic eye movement.

scholarly journals Selective modulation of visual sensitivity during fixation

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (6) ◽  
pp. 2059-2067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Scholes ◽  
Paul V. McGraw ◽  
Neil W. Roach
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Ocular Movements ◽  
Spatial Frequencies

During periods of steady fixation, we make small-amplitude ocular movements, termed microsaccades, at a rate of 1–2 every second. Early studies provided evidence that visual sensitivity is reduced during microsaccades—akin to the well-established suppression associated with larger saccades. However, the results of more recent work suggest that microsaccades may alter retinal input in a manner that enhances visual sensitivity to some stimuli. Here we parametrically varied the spatial frequency of a stimulus during a detection task and tracked contrast sensitivity as a function of time relative to microsaccades. Our data reveal two distinct modulations of sensitivity: suppression during the eye movement itself and facilitation after the eye has stopped moving. The magnitude of suppression and facilitation of visual sensitivity is related to the spatial content of the stimulus: suppression is greatest for low spatial frequencies, while sensitivity is enhanced most for stimuli of 1–2 cycles/°, spatial frequencies at which we are already most sensitive in the absence of eye movements. We present a model in which the tuning of suppression and facilitation is explained by delayed lateral inhibition between spatial frequency channels. Our data show that eye movements actively modulate visual sensitivity even during fixation: the detectability of images at different spatial scales can be increased or decreased depending on when the image occurs relative to a microsaccade. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Given the frequency with which we make microsaccades during periods of fixation, it is vital that we understand how they affect visual processing. We demonstrate two selective modulations of contrast sensitivity that are time-locked to the occurrence of a microsaccade: suppression of low spatial frequencies during each eye movement and enhancement of higher spatial frequencies after the eye has stopped moving. These complementary changes may arise naturally because of sluggish gain control between spatial channels.

scholarly journals Transformation from local image contrast to location-independent numerosity tuning in human extrastriate cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob M Paul ◽  
Martijn van Ackooij ◽  
Tuomas C ten Cate ◽  
Benjamin M Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Computational Modelling ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Extrastriate Cortex ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Fourier Decomposition ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Item Size

Many animals use visual numerosity, the number of items in a group, to guide behavior. Neurons in human association cortices show numerosity-tuned responses, decreasing amplitude with distance from a specific numerosity. How are such responses derived from early visual responses? Recent studies show aggregate response amplitudes in human early visual cortex monotonically increase with numerosity, regardless of object size and spacing. This is surprising because numerosity is typically considered a high-level visual or cognitive feature. Here we first use computational modelling of 7T fMRI data to show these monotonic responses originate at the stimulus's retinotopic location in primary visual cortex (V1). Given this location, we then ask whether these monotonic responses can be better described by V1's established response properties. We characterize the Fourier decomposition (into contrast at specific orientations and spatial frequencies) of laboratory numerosity stimuli. This demonstrates that aggregate Fourier power (at all orientations and spatial frequencies) nonlinearly follows numerosity with little effect of item size, spacing or shape: it is proportional to numerosity at a fixed contrast. This nonlinear relationship lets us distinguish predictions of responses to Fourier power and numerosity. Monotonic responses are better predicted by Fourier power, later tuned responses are better predicted by numerosity. Tuned responses emerge after lateral occipital cortex and are independent of retinotopic location. We propose that numerosity's straightforward perception and neural responses reflect its straightforward estimation from early visual spatial frequency domain image representations. Our numerical vision may have built on behaviorally beneficial analysis of spatial frequency in simpler animals.

scholarly journals Peripheral shift reduces visual sensitivity in cat geniculate neurones

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 875-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREW M. DERRINGTON ◽  
FATIMA FELISBERTI
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Saccadic Eye Movements ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Saccadic Suppression ◽  
Contrast Threshold ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Relay Cell ◽  
X Cells ◽  
Y Cells

The sudden displacement of the retinal image during a saccade raises the visual threshold of human observers to foveal stimuli. The fall in visual sensitivity observed during this phenomenon, known as saccadic suppression, seems to occur very early in the visual processing chain. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is a likely locus for the multiple retinal and extraretinal interactions occurring during saccadic eye movements, therefore we used the responses of relay cells of adult cats to simulate a pychophysical experiment. We first measured the responses of X and Y relay cells (27 X and 13 Y) to central spots of optimal size and different contrasts. The spots were presented either alone or time locked with the rapid movement of a large, high-contrast peripheral pattern, referred to as shift. We measured the percentage of trials on which the relay cell fired more spikes when the spot (contrast: 0.03–1.0) was present than when it was absent. In experiments with human observers the task was to indicate, by a keypress, which of two otherwise identical temporal intervals contained the spot. The shift reduces the sensitivity (raises the contrast threshold) of neurones in the cat relay cells to brief, stationary targets presented to the receptive-field center. The suppression of visual sensitivity is significantly greater in Y cells than in X cells (average sensitivity ratios 5.6 ± 5.4 in Y cells, 1.59 ± 0.9 in X cells: P < 0.001, U test). The shift also reduces the sensitivity of human observers to the same target. This suggests that the LGN is a potential locus for the modulation of visual responses that leads to saccadic suppression.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation on Spatial-Frequency Domain Imaging for Estimating Optical Absorption and Scattering Properties of Two-Layered Horticultural Products

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 617
Author(s):  
Dong Hu ◽  
Yuping Huang ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Lijian Yao ◽  
Zidong Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Optical Property ◽  
Optical Absorption ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Estimation Accuracy ◽  
Property Estimation ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Stepwise Method ◽  
Horticultural Products ◽  
Layered Samples

Spatial-frequency domain imaging (SFDI) is a wide-field, noncontact, and label-free imaging modality that is currently being explored as a new means for estimating optical absorption and scattering properties of two-layered turbid materials. The accuracy of SFDI for optical property estimation, however, depends on light transfer model and inverse algorithm. This study was therefore aimed at providing theoretical analyses of the diffusion model and inverse algorithm through numerical simulation, so as to evaluate the potential for estimating optical absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of two-layered horticultural products. The effect of varying optical properties on reflectance prediction was first simulated, which indicated that there is good separation in diffuse reflectance over a large range of spatial frequencies for different reduced scattering values in the top layer, whereas there is less separation in diffuse reflectance for different values of absorption in the top layer, and even less separation for optical properties in the bottom layer. To implement the nonlinear least-square method for extracting the optical properties of two-layered samples from Monte Carlo-generated reflectance, five curve fitting strategies with different constrained parameters were conducted and compared. The results confirmed that estimation accuracy improved as fewer variables were to be estimated each time. A stepwise method was thus suggested for estimating optical properties of two-layered samples. Four factors influencing optical property estimation of the top layer, which is the basis for accurately implementing the stepwise method, were investigated by generating absolute error contour maps. Finally, the relationship between light penetration depth and spatial frequency was studied. The results showed that penetration depth decreased with the increased spatial frequency and also optical properties, suggesting that appropriate selection of spatial frequencies for a stepwise method to estimate optical properties from two-layered samples provides potential for estimation accuracy improvement. This work lays a foundation for improving optical property estimation of two-layered horticultural products using SFDI.

Harmonic basis functions for spatial coding in the cat striate cortex

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. D. Glezer ◽  
V. V. Yakovlev ◽  
V. E. Gauzelman
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Weighting Function ◽  
Discrete Distribution ◽  
Basis Functions ◽  
Spatial Coding ◽  
Central Visual Field ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Number Of Cycles

AbstractThe number of subregions in the activity profiles of simple cells varies in different cells from 2–8; that is, the number of cycles in the weighting function varies from 1–4. The distribution of receptive-field (RF) sizes at eccentricities of 0-6 deg are clustered at half-octave intervals and form a discrete distribution with maxima at 0.62, 0.9, 1.24, 1.8, 2.48, and 3.4 deg. The spatial frequencies to which the cells are tuned are also clustered at half-octave intervals, forming a discrete distribution peaking at 0.45, 0.69, 0.9, 1.35, 1.88, 2.7, 3.8, and 5.6 cycles/deg. If we divide the RF sizes by the size of the period of the subregions, then the average indices of complexity (really existing) or the number of cycles in the weighting function form (after normalization) the sequences: 1, 1.41, 2.0, 2.9, 4.15.The relation between the bandwidth of the spatial-frequency characteristic and the optimal spatial frequency is in accordance with predictions of the Fourier hypothesis. The absolute bandwidth does not change with the number of cycles/module. This means that inside the module the absolute bandwidth does not change with the number of the harmonic. The results allow us to suggest the following. A module of the striate cortex, which is a group of cells with RFs of equal size projected onto the same area of central visual field, accounts for the Fourier description of the image. The basis functions of the module are composed of four harmonics only, irrespective of size and position of the module.Besides linear cells (sinusoidal and cosinusoidal elements), the module contains nonlinear cells, performing a nonlinear summation of the responses of sinusoidal and cosinusoidal elements. Such cells are characterized by an index of complexity which is more than the number of cycles in the weighting function and by marked overlap of ON and OFF zones. The analysis of organization suggests that the cells can measure the amplitude and phase of the stimulus.

Spatial-frequency and orientation tuning in psychophysical end-stopping

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
CONG YU ◽  
DENNIS M. LEVI
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Spatial Filter ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Maximal Strength ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Spatial Filters ◽  
Spatial Frequency Tuning ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Wide Range

A psychophysical analog to cortical receptive-field end-stopping has been demonstrated previously in spatial filters tuned to a wide range of spatial frequencies (Yu & Levi, 1997a). The current study investigated tuning characteristics in psychophysical spatial filter end-stopping. When a D6 (the sixth derivative of a Gaussian) target is masked by a center mask (placed in the putative spatial filter center), two end-zone masks (placed in the filter end-zones) reduce thresholds. This “end-stopping” effect (the reduction of masking induced by end-zone masks) was measured at various spatial frequencies and orientations of end-zone masks. End-stopping reached its maximal strength when the spatial frequency and/or orientation of the end-zone masks matched the spatial frequency and/or orientation of the target and center mask, showing spatial-frequency tuning and orientation tuning. The bandwidths of spatial-frequency and orientation tuning functions decreased with increasing target spatial frequency. At larger orientation differences, however, end-zone masks induced a secondary facilitation effect, which was maximal when the spatial frequency of end-zone masks equated the target spatial frequency. This facilitation effect might be related to certain types of contour and texture perception, such as perceptual pop-out.

scholarly journals Contrast thresholds reveal different visual masking functions in humans and praying mantises

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghaith Tarawneh ◽  
Vivek Nityananda ◽  
Ronny Rosner ◽  
Steven Errington ◽  
William Herbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Motion Detection ◽  
Visual Masking ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual Noise ◽  
Frequency Noise ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Summary Statement ◽  
Contrast Thresholds

AbstractRecently, we showed a novel property of the Hassenstein-Reichardt detector: namely, that insect motion detection can be masked by “invisible” noise, i.e. visual noise presented at spatial frequencies to which the animals do not respond when presented as a signal. While this study compared the effect of noise on human and insect motion perception, it used different ways of quantifying masking in two species. This was because the human studies measured contrast thresholds, which were too time-consuming to acquire in the insect given the large number of stimulus parameters examined. Here, we run longer experiments in which we obtained contrast thresholds at just two signal and two noise frequencies. We examine the increase in threshold produced by noise at either the same frequency as the signal, or a different frequency. We do this in both humans and praying mantises (Sphodromantis lineola), enabling us to compare these species directly in the same paradigm. Our results confirm our earlier finding: whereas in humans, visual noise masks much more effectively when presented at the signal spatial frequency, in insects, noise is roughly equivalently effective whether presented at the same frequency or a lower frequency. In both species, visual noise presented at a higher spatial frequency is a less effective mask.Summary StatementWe here show that despite having similar motion detection systems, insects and humans differ in the effect of low and high spatial frequency noise on their contrast thresholds.

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