Patterns of neural response in scene-selective regions of the human brain are affected by low-level manipulations of spatial frequency.
Neuroimaging studies have found distinct patterns of response to different categories of scenes. However, the relative importance of low-level image properties in generating these response patterns is not fully understood. To address this issue, we directly manipulated the low level properties of scenes in a way that preserved the ability to perceive the category. We then measured the effect of these manipulations on category-selective patterns of fMRI response in the PPA, RSC and OPA. In Experiment 1, a horizontal-pass or vertical-pass orientation filter was applied to images of indoor and natural scenes. The image filter did not have a large effect on the patterns of response. For example, vertical- and horizontal-pass filtered indoor images generated similar patterns of response. Similarly, vertical- and horizontal-pass filtered natural scenes generated similar patterns of response. In Experiment 2, low-pass or high-pass spatial frequency filters were applied to the images. We found that image filter had a marked effect on the patterns of response in scene-selective regions. For example, low-pass indoor images generated similar patterns of response to low-pass natural images. The effect of filter varied across different scene-selective regions, suggesting differences in the way that scenes are represented in these regions. These results indicate that patterns of response in scene-selective regions are sensitive to the low-level properties of the image, particularly the spatial frequency content.
Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
David M
DM
Watson
Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
Mark
M
Hymers
Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
Tom
T
Hartley
Department of Psychology and York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom. Electronic address: timothy.andrews@york.ac.uk.
Timothy J
TJ
Andrews
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult