title: The right temporo-parietal junction contributes to visual feature binding.
abstract: We investigated the neural basis of conjoined processing of color and spatial frequency with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A multivariate classification algorithm was trained to differentiate between either isolated color or spatial frequency differences, or between conjoint differences in both feature dimensions. All displays were presented in a singleton search task, avoiding confounds between conjunctive feature processing and search difficulty that arose in previous studies contrasting single feature and conjunction search tasks. Based on patient studies, we expected the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) to be involved in conjunctive feature processing. This hypothesis was confirmed in that only conjoined color and spatial frequency differences, but not isolated feature differences could be classified above chance level in this area. Furthermore, we could show that the accuracy of a classification of differences in both feature dimensions was superadditive compared to the classification accuracies of isolated color or spatial frequency differences within the right TPJ. These data provide evidence for the processing of feature conjunctions, here color and spatial frequency, in the right TPJ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany. Electronic address: stefan.pollmann@ovgu.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zinke
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Geringswald
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; Psychoinformatics Lab, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; Feature integration; MVPA; Parietal; Visual search; fMRI