Research article summary (published 6 Nov 2006):

Remapping in human visual cortex.

Full Abstract

With each eye movement, stationary objects in the world change position on the retina, yet we perceive the world as stable. Spatial updating, or remapping, is one neural mechanism by which the brain compensates for shifts in the retinal image caused by voluntary eye movements. Remapping of a visual representation is believed to arise from a widespread neural circuit including parietal and frontal cortex. The current experiment tests the hypothesis that extrastriate visual areas in human cortex have access to remapped spatial information. We tested this hypothesis using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We first identified the borders of several occipital lobe visual areas using standard retinotopic techniques. We then tested subjects while they performed a single-step saccade task analogous to the task used in neurophysiological studies in monkeys, and two conditions that control for visual and motor effects. We analyzed the fMRI time series data with a nonlinear, fully Bayesian hierarchical statistical model. We identified remapping as activity in the single-step task that could not be attributed to purely visual or oculomotor effects. The strength of remapping was roughly monotonic with position in the visual hierarchy: remapped responses were largest in areas V3A and hV4 and smallest in V1 and V2. These results demonstrate that updated visual representations are present in cortical areas that are directly linked to visual perception.

Author information

Author/s: Merriam, Elisha P (EP); Genovese, Christopher R (CR); Colby, Carol L (CL);

Affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. eli(-atsign-)cns.nyu.edu

Grants: EY 016646 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; EY 12032 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; F32 EY016646-01A1 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; F32 EY016646-02 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; F32 EY016646-03 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; NS 047493 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01 EY012032-06 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; R01 EY012032-07 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; R01 EY012032-08 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; R01 EY012032-09 (Agency:NEI NIH HHS) ; R01 NS047493-01 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01 NS047493-02 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01 NS047493-03 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; R01 NS047493-04 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of neurophysiology (J Neurophysiol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 97 (issue 2) : pp 1738-55

Dates: Created 2007/02/09; Completed 2007/04/02; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17093130, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: J Neurophysiol. 2007 Feb;97(2):961-2. (PMID: 17151216)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Acoustic Stimulation Adult Algorithms Bayes Theorem Brain Mapping Cerebrovascular Circulation - physiology Eye Movements - physiology Female Fixation, Ocular - physiology Functional Laterality - physiology Humans Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Male Memory - physiology Models, Neurological Models, Statistical Photic Stimulation Psychomotor Performance - physiology Retina - physiology Saccades - physiology Visual Cortex - physiology Visual Fields - physiology Visual Perception - physiology

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