Two distinct neural mechanisms in early visual cortex determine subsequent visual processing

Jacobs, C., de Graaf, T.A. and Sack, A.T. 2014. Two distinct neural mechanisms in early visual cortex determine subsequent visual processing. Cortex. 59, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2014.06.017

TitleTwo distinct neural mechanisms in early visual cortex determine subsequent visual processing
AuthorsJacobs, C., de Graaf, T.A. and Sack, A.T.
Abstract

Neuroscience research has conventionally focused on how the brain processes sensory information, after the information has been received. Recently, increased interest focuses on how the state of the brain upon receiving inputs determines and biases their subsequent processing and interpretation. Here, we investigated such 'pre-stimulus' brain mechanisms and their relevance for objective and subjective visual processing. Using non-invasive focal brain stimulation [transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)] we disrupted spontaneous brain state activity within early visual cortex (EVC) before onset of visual stimulation, at two different pre-stimulus-onset-asynchronies (pSOAs). We found that TMS pulses applied to EVC at either 20 msec or 50 msec before onset of a simple orientation stimulus both prevented this stimulus from reaching visual awareness. Interestingly, only the TMS-induced visual suppression following TMS at a pSOA of −20 msec was retinotopically specific, while TMS at a pSOA of −50 msec was not. In a second experiment, we used more complex symbolic arrow stimuli, and found TMS-induced suppression only when disrupting EVC at a pSOA of ∼ −60 msec, which, in line with Experiment 1, was not retinotopically specific. Despite this topographic unspecificity of the −50 msec effect, the additional control measurements as well as tracking and removal of eye blinks, suggested that also this effect was not the result of an unspecific artifact, and thus neural in origin. We therefore obtained evidence of two distinct neural mechanisms taking place in EVC, both determining whether or not subsequent visual inputs are successfully processed by the human visual system.

JournalCortex
Journal citation59, pp. 1-11
ISSN0010-9452
Year2014
PublisherEdizioni Edra
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2014.06.017
Publication dates
Published06 Jun 2014

Related outputs

Mental rotation performance in aphantasia [Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract]
Pounder, Z., Jacob, J., Jacobs, C., Loveday, C., Towell, T. and Silvanto, J. 2018. Mental rotation performance in aphantasia [Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting Abstract]. Journal of Vision. 18, p. 1123.

State-dependent TMS reveals representation of affective body movements in the anterior intraparietal cortex
Mazzoni, N., Jacobs, C., Venuti, P., Silvanto, J. and Cattaneo, L. 2017. State-dependent TMS reveals representation of affective body movements in the anterior intraparietal cortex . Journal of Neuroscience. 37 (30), pp. 7231-7239. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0913-17.2017

Attention, working memory, and phenomenal experience of WM content: memory levels determined by different types of top-down modulation.
Jacob, J., Jacobs, C. and Silvanto, J. 2015. Attention, working memory, and phenomenal experience of WM content: memory levels determined by different types of top-down modulation. Frontiers in Psychology. 6 1603. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01603

How is working memory content consciously experienced? The 'conscious copy' model of WM introspection
Silvanto, J. and Jacobs, C. 2015. How is working memory content consciously experienced? The 'conscious copy' model of WM introspection. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 55, pp. 510-519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.06.003

The chronometry of visual perception: review of occipital TMS masking studies
de Graaf, T.A., Koivisto, M., Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2014. The chronometry of visual perception: review of occipital TMS masking studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 45, pp. 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.06.017

The cortex-based alignment approach to TMS coil positioning
Duecker, F., Frost, M.A., de Graaf, T.A., Graewe, B., Jacobs, C., Goebel, R. and Sack, A.T. 2014. The cortex-based alignment approach to TMS coil positioning. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 26 (10), pp. 2321-2329. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00635

Time- and task-dependent non-neural effects of real and sham TMS
Duecker, F., de Graaf, T.A., Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2013. Time- and task-dependent non-neural effects of real and sham TMS. PLoS ONE. 8 (9) e73813. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073813

Posttraining transcranial magnetic stimulation of striate cortex disrupts consolidation early in visual skill learning
De Weerd, P., Reithler, J., van de Ven, V., Been, M., Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2012. Posttraining transcranial magnetic stimulation of striate cortex disrupts consolidation early in visual skill learning. The Journal of Neuroscience. 32 (6), pp. 1981-1988. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3712-11.2011

The temporal dynamics of early visual cortex involvement in behavioral priming
Jacobs, C., de Graaf, T.A., Goebel, R. and Sack, A.T. 2012. The temporal dynamics of early visual cortex involvement in behavioral priming. PLoS ONE. 7 (11) e48808. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048808

Behavior in oblivion: the neurobiology of subliminal priming
Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2012. Behavior in oblivion: the neurobiology of subliminal priming. Brain Sciences. 2 (2), pp. 225-241. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci2020225

Topographic contribution of early visual cortex to short-term memory consolidation: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study
van de Ven, V., Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2012. Topographic contribution of early visual cortex to short-term memory consolidation: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. The Journal of Neuroscience. 32 (1), pp. 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3261-11.2012

Visual awareness suppression by pre-stimulus brain stimulation: a neural effect
Jacobs, C., Goebel, R. and Sack, A.T. 2012. Visual awareness suppression by pre-stimulus brain stimulation: a neural effect. NeuroImage. 59 (1), pp. 616-624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.090

TMS effects on subjective and objective measures of vision: stimulation intensity and pre- versus post-stimulus masking
de Graaf, T.A., Cornelsen, S., Jacobs, C. and Sack, A.T. 2011. TMS effects on subjective and objective measures of vision: stimulation intensity and pre- versus post-stimulus masking. Consciousness and Cognition. 20 (4), pp. 1244-1255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.04.012

FMRI effective connectivity and TMS chronometry: complementary accounts of causality in the visuospatial judgment network
de Graaf, T.A., Jacobs, C., Roebroeck, A. and Sack, A.T. 2009. FMRI effective connectivity and TMS chronometry: complementary accounts of causality in the visuospatial judgment network. PLoS ONE. 4 (12) e8307. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0008307

Dynamic premotor-to-parietal interactions during spatial imagery
Sack, A.T., Jacobs, C., De Martino, F., Staeren, N., Goebel, R. and Formisano, E. 2008. Dynamic premotor-to-parietal interactions during spatial imagery. The Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (34), pp. 8417-8429. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2656-08.2008

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/8yqvw/two-distinct-neural-mechanisms-in-early-visual-cortex-determine-subsequent-visual-processing


Share this

Usage statistics

80 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.