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Dynamics of perceptual oscillations in form vision

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Abstract

Certain periodic dot patterns (Marroquin patterns) generate a percept of dynamically oscillating circles, and analogous effects were explored by op artists in the 1960s. Here we show psychophysically that circles are perceived in these patterns only around specific points that are quantitatively predicted by a neural model of configural units hypothesized to reside in cortical area V4. Circles superimposed on the pattern mask perception of illusory circles. A neural model of lateral inhibitory interactions among V4 configural units showing spike-frequency adaptation quantitatively accounts for the human data. The model is consistent with ideas on the neural basis of attention in V4, and it suggests that attention may be biased via neuromodulation of slow hyperpolarizing potentials in cortical neurons.

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Figure 1: Patterns generating percepts of circular or ellipsoidal structure.
Figure 2: Visibility of illusory circles centered at ten different points in the Marroquin pattern.
Figure 3: Masking of illusory circle visibility.
Figure 5: Schematic of the complete V4 concentric unit dynamical model illustrated both in perspective (left) and in cross-section (right) for clarity.
Figure 4: Pseudocolor representation of model V4 concentric unit8 responses to the Marroquin pattern.
Figure 6: Comparison of model net work responses and human data.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by NIH grant #EY02158 to H.R.W., by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to the University of Chicago and by NSERC grant #OGP0007551 (Canada) to F.W.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Visual Science Center, University of Chicago, 939 E. 57th Street, Chicago, 60637 , Illinois, USA

    Hugh R. Wilson & Boris Krupa

  2. Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montreal, H3A 1B1, Quebec, Canada

    Frances Wilkinson

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  1. Hugh R. Wilson
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  2. Boris Krupa
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Correspondence to Hugh R. Wilson.

Supplementary information

41593_2000_BFnn0200_170_MOESM1_ESM.qt

Supplementary Information (QT 1.57 MB)

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This animation illustrates the time course of the solution to equation (2) in response to stimulation by a Marroquin pattern. The small +-shaped patches represent islands of active model V4 neurons in the two-dimensional network. As time evolves, activity vanishes at some points and reappears at others because of spike-frequency adaptation and competitive inhibition. Superimposed circles illustrate the percept signaled by the active model neurons in response to the Marroquin pattern.

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Wilson, H., Krupa, B. & Wilkinson, F. Dynamics of perceptual oscillations in form vision. Nat Neurosci 3, 170–176 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/72115

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