
doi: 10.1167/6.9.5
pmid: 17083284
Low-contrast visual contour fragments are easier to detect when presented in the context of nearby collinear contour elements (U. Polat & D. Sagi, 1993). The spatial and temporal determinants of this collinear facilitation have been studied extensively (J. R. Cass & B. Spehar, 2005; Y. Tanaka & D. Sagi, 1998; C. B. Williams & R. F. Hess, 1998), although considerable debate surrounds the neural mechanisms underlying it. Our study examines this question using a novel stimulus, whereby the flanking "contour" elements are rotated around their own axis. By measuring contrast detection thresholds to a brief foveal target presented at various phases of flanker rotation, we find peak facilitation after flankers have rotated beyond their collinear phase. This optimal facilitative delay increases monotonically as a function of target-flanker separation, yielding estimates of cortical propagation of 0.1 m/s, a value highly consistent with the dynamics of long-range horizontal interactions observed within primary visual cortex (V1). A curious new finding is also observed: Facilitative peaks also occur when the target flash precedes flanker collinearity by 20-80 ms, a range consistent with contrast-dependent cortical onset latencies. Together, these data suggest that collinear facilitation involves two separate mechanisms, each possessing distinct dynamics: (i) slowly propagating horizontal interactions within V1 and (ii) a faster integrative mechanism, possibly driven by synchronous collinear cortical onset.
Male, vision, Time Factors, Models, Neurological, visual perception, 612, Synaptic Transmission, Contrast Sensitivity, Form Perception, Sensory Thresholds, Psychophysics, Reaction Time, Visual Perception, Humans, Photic Stimulation, Visual Cortex
Male, vision, Time Factors, Models, Neurological, visual perception, 612, Synaptic Transmission, Contrast Sensitivity, Form Perception, Sensory Thresholds, Psychophysics, Reaction Time, Visual Perception, Humans, Photic Stimulation, Visual Cortex
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