title: Effect of adaptation direction on the motion VEP and perceived speed of drifting gratings.
abstract: The N200 amplitude of the motion-onset VEP evoked by a parafoveal grating of variable contrast (0.5-64%), constant speed (2 degrees/s), direction (horizontally rightward), and spatial frequency (2 cpd) was studied before and after adaptation to a stationary or drifting grating (1, 2, or 4 degrees/s rightward or leftward). These results are compared to those for the pattern-appearance VEP. Psychophysical measurements were made simultaneously of the perceived speed. While iso-directional (rightward) adaptation leads to a mean amplitude reduction of 39%, the decrease after counter-directional adaptation has a size of 20%. The post-adaptation matches of perceived speed differ in dependence on the iso-directional adapting speed and decrease on average to 98%, 85%, and 69% of the pre-adapt perceived speed after 1, 2, and 4 degrees/s adapting speeds, respectively. The perceived speed is moderately reduced (83% of the pre-adapt value) after counter-directional adaptation nearly independently of the adapting speed. A model of velocity processing is presented, which enables us to predict the trends of the experimental motion VEP and perceived speed data.
authors.affiliation: Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 27, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. muer@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Göpfert
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leineweber
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Greenlee
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011601:Psychophysics