Population receptive field dynamics in human visual cortex.
Seminal work in the early nineties revealed that the visual receptive field of neurons in cat primary visual cortex can change in location and size when artificial scotomas are applied. Recent work now suggests that these single neuron receptive field dynamics also pertain to the neuronal population receptive field (pRF) that can be measured in humans with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To examine this further, we estimated the pRF in twelve healthy participants while masking the central portion of the visual field. We found that the pRF changes in location and size for two differently sized artificial scotomas, and that these pRF dynamics are most likely due to a combination of the neuronal receptive field position and size scatter as well as modulatory feedback signals from extrastriate visual areas.
Laboratory for Experimental Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Koen V
KV
Haak
Frans W
FW
Cornelissen
Antony B
AB
Morland
D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D012607:Scotoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*