Differences in cerebral activation during perception of optokinetic computer stimuli and video clips of living animals: an fMRI study.
OBJECTIVE
There is behavioral evidence of increased spontaneous recruitment of visual attention to ancestral evolved categories, such as animals, compared with expertise-derived categories, such as a computer. In order to investigate the association between visual perception and spontaneous visual attention, a study was performed to determine if brain activation whilst viewing moving animals was increased compared with optokinetic computer stimuli.


METHODS
Functional MRI was performed in 12 healthy volunteers using a standard block-design paradigm, consisting of three consecutive experiments. Subjects viewed the following images: Experiment one--optokinetic computer stimuli alternating with static computer stimuli; Experiment two--moving animals alternating with non-moving animals; Experiment three--moving animals alternating with optokinetic computer stimuli.


RESULTS
Moving animals evoked motion-dependent activation bilaterally in the middle and superior temporal gyri, right inferior temporal gyrus, left occipital gyrus, right supramarginal gyrus, and left straight gyrus. Integrated object-and-motion-dependent activation was found bilateral in inferior and middle temporal gyri, right superior temporal gyrus, right superior parietal lobule, left dorsal putamen, and right amygdala.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that there is increased cerebral activity in the visuo-attentional network whilst viewing moving animals compared with optokinetic computer stimuli.
Böttger
Stefanie
S
Department of Neurology and Neurological Intensive Medicine, Klinikum Harlaching, Städtisches Klinikum München GmbH, Sanatoriumsplatz 2, 81545 München, Germany.
Haberl
Roman
R
Prosiegel
Mario
M
Audebert
Heinrich
H
Rumberg
Bastian
B
Forsting
Michael
M
Gizewski
Elke R
ER
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*