The spatial characteristics of plaid-form-selective mechanisms.
Rather little is known about the mechanisms that combine the outputs of orientation- and spatial frequency-selective channels. These can be studied by measuring the selective adaptation to compound stimuli over and above that expected from adaptation to the components alone (Peirce & Taylor, 2006). Here we investigated the contrast- and spatial phase-dependency of such mechanisms. A plaid was adapted in one visual hemi-field, while its constituent gratings were simultaneously adapted in the other hemi-field. Plaid-selective adaptation was most apparent with high-contrast probes, whereas adaptation to the component grating stimuli dominated at low contrasts. The mechanisms underlying this plaid-selective adaptation also appear to be insensitive to the spatial phase of the probes relative to the adaptor, whereas we find a clear phase-dependency for suprathreshold contrast adaptation to grating stimuli. These findings suggest that the visual system is equipped with mechanisms that conduct a global analysis of the plaid pattern, which are likely derived from the non-linear outputs of V1 complex cells.
McGovern
David P
DP
Nottingham Visual Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. lpxdm@nottingham.ac.uk
Peirce
Jonathan W
JW
D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D006801:Humans; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*