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Specializations for chromatic and temporal signals in human visual cortex
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Specializations for chromatic and temporal signals in human visual cortex

Junjie Liu and Brian A Wandell
The Journal of neuroscience, Vol.25(13), pp.3459-3468
03/30/2005
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4206-04.2005
PMCID: PMC6724897
PMID: 15800201
url
https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4206-04.2005View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Neurological case studies and qualitative measurements suggest that regions within human extrastriate cortex are specialized for different perceptual functions, including color. However, there are few quantitative measurements of human extrastriate color specializations. We studied the chromatic and temporal responses in several different clusters of human visual field maps using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Contrast response functions were measured for luminance [(L + M)-cone], red-green [(L - M)-cone] and blue-yellow (S-cone) modulations at various temporal frequencies. In primary visual cortex (V1), temporal responsivities to luminance and red-green modulations are approximately constant up to 10 Hz, but responsivities to blue-yellow modulations decrease significantly. In ventral occipital cortex (VO), all colors elicit strong responses, and, for each color, low temporal frequency modulations are more effective than high temporal frequency modulations. Hence, VO represents the full range of color information but does not respond well to rapid modulations. Conversely, in human motion-selective cortex (MT+) and V3A, blue-yellow modulations elicit very weak responses, whereas luminance and red-green high temporal frequency modulations are equally or more effective than low temporal frequency modulations. Hence, these dorsal occipital regions respond well to rapid modulations, but not all color information is represented. Similar to human motion perception, MT+ and V3A respond powerfully to all temporal frequencies but only to some colors. Similar to human color perception, VO responds powerfully to all colors but only to relatively low temporal frequencies.
Brain Mapping Color Color Perception - physiology Contrast Sensitivity - physiology Functional Laterality - physiology Humans Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods Oxygen - blood Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology Photic Stimulation - methods Psychophysics Sensory Thresholds - physiology Time Factors Visual Cortex - blood supply Visual Cortex - physiology Visual Fields - physiology Visual Pathways - physiology

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