Serial dependence in a simulated clinical visual search task.

In everyday life, we continuously search for and classify objects in the environment around us. This kind of visual search is extremely important when performed by radiologists in cancer image interpretation and officers in airport security screening. During these tasks, observers often examine large numbers of uncorrelated images (tumor x-rays, checkpoint x-rays, etc.) one after another. An underlying assumption of such tasks is that search and recognition are independent of our past experience. Here, we simulated a visual search task reminiscent of medical image search and found that shape classification performance was strongly impaired by recent visual experience, biasing classification errors 7% more towards the previous image content. This perceptual attraction exhibited the three main tuning characteristics of Continuity Fields: serial dependence extended over 12 seconds back in time (temporal tuning), it occurred only between similar tumor-like shapes (feature tuning), and only within a limited spatial region (spatial tuning). Taken together, these results demonstrate that serial dependence influences shape perception and occurs in visual search tasks. They also raise the possibility of a detrimental impact of serial dependence in clinical and practically relevant settings, such as medical image perception

Functional brain organization of preparatory attentional control in visual search

Looking for an object that may be present in a cluttered visual display requires an advanced specification of that object to be created and then matched against the incoming visual input. Here, fast event-related fMRI was used to identify the brain networks that are active when preparing to search for a visual target. By isolating the preparation phase of the task it has been possible to show that for an identical stimulus, different patterns of cortical activation occur depending on whether participants anticipate a 'feature' or a 'conjunction' search task. When anticipating a conjunction search task, there was more robust activation in ventral occipital areas, new activity in the transverse occipital sulci and right posterior intraparietal sulcus. In addition, preparing for either type of search activated ventral striatum and lateral cerebellum. These results suggest that when participants anticipate a demanding search task, they develop a different advanced representation of a visually identical target stimulus compared to when they anticipate a nondemanding search. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Neural Basis for Priming of Pop-Out during Visual Search Revealed with fMRI

Maljkovic and Nakayama first showed that visual search efficiency can be influenced by priming effects. Even "pop-out” targets (defined by unique color) are judged quicker if they appear at the same location and/or in the same color as on the preceding trial, in an unpredictable sequence. Here, we studied the potential neural correlates of such priming in human visual search using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found that repeating either the location or the color of a singleton target led to repetition suppression of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity in brain regions traditionally linked with attentional control, including bilateral intraparietal sulci. This indicates that the attention system of the human brain can be "primed,” in apparent analogy to repetition-suppression effects on activity in other neural systems. For repetition of target color but not location, we also found repetition suppression in inferior temporal areas that may be associated with color processing, whereas repetition of target location led to greater reduction of activation in contralateral inferior parietal and frontal areas, relative to color repetition. The frontal eye fields were also implicated, notably when both target properties (color and location) were repeated together, which also led to further BOLD decreases in anterior fusiform cortex not seen when either property was repeated alone. These findings reveal the neural correlates for priming of pop-out search, including commonalities, differences, and interactions between location and color repetition. fMRI repetition-suppression effects may arise in components of the attention network because these settle into a stable "attractor state” more readily when the same target property is repeated than when a different attentional state is require

Spatial Remapping Mechanisms and their impairments in patients with right parietal lesions

We analysed location priming effects, and thus the ability to integrate visual information across subsequent trials in the three studies presented in the following chapters. Based on previous findings in healthy subjects priming effects occur under conditions that require no attentional shifts in-between subsequent trials, i.e. with the subject’s fixation maintained and the search displays presented at retinotopically equal locations with respect to the fixation cross (Maljkovic & Nakayama, 1996; Geyer, Krummenacher, & Müller, 2007). In study 1 we tested whether location-based priming effects would outlive spatial shifts of attention in healthy subjects. The basic assumption, derived from Pisella and Mattingley´s (2004) account was they would, and that the outliving would be based on intact spatial remapping mechanisms operating in healthy subjects along with attention shifts. The aim of study 1 in view of further investigations in patients, i.e. in studies 2 and 3 was to test the suitability of the priming paradigm to serve our purpose to investigate spatial remapping abilities, and furthermore, in patients, purported deficits. To test whether priming effects would outlive saccadic shifts of overt attention, subjects had to re-fixate the fixation cross in turns on the left and on the right side of the monitor between subsequent trials. In two separate experiments priming effects were measured at post-saccadically retinotopic and spatiotopic locations, respectively, and compared to effects in a control experiment requiring no attention shifts. The experiments were also applied in study 2. To test whether priming effects would outlive covert shifts of attention subjects´ attention was distracted between subsequent trials while their fixation was maintained. In two separate experiments priming effects were measured after exogenous and endogenous distraction, respectively, and compared to a control experiment without distraction. The experiments were also applied in study 3. The presence of priming effects despite interfering attention shifts could be taken as evidence that processes that integrate visual information along with attention shifts, i.e. spatial remapping mechanisms, operate flawlessly in healthy subjects. The aim of study 2 was to test whether the parietal cortex provides the neural correlate of spatial remapping as assumed by Pisella and Mattingley (2004). To that end, we tested whether spatial remapping deficits would occur after saccadic shifts of overt attention in patients with right parietal lesions. Deficits were expected to be indicated by altered or disturbed priming effects in those patients as compared to priming effects in healthy control subjects and furthermore, in patients with right-hemispheric lesions not involving the parietal lobe. Latter patients (without parietal lesions) were tested, to control for and differentiate between deficits occurring more generally after right-hemispheric damages and specific deficits occurring after right parietal damages. Moreover, given the crucial role of priming for visual search (Chun & Nakayama, 2000) disturbed priming as an indicator of deficient spatial remapping would provide support for the assumption made by Pisella and Mattingley (2004) that spatial remapping deficits contribute to visual search impairments as they are often observed in patients with right parietal lesions. The aim of study 3 was to test the model’s assumption that spatial remapping is required after spatial shifts of covert attention. Again, we compared priming effects of patients with right parietal lesions to those of patients with right-hemispheric lesions without parietal involvement, and healthy subjects. We expected priming effects to be disturbed in patients with right parietal lesions provided that covert attention shifts induce spatial remapping requirements, and that the anatomical site of spatial remapping mechanisms operating to integrate visual information across spatial shifts of covert attention is located in the parietal lobe

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task

The Role of Working Memory Load in Distractor Suppression

The well-established Load Theory of Attention and Cognitive Control (Load Theory) has sparked research over two decades. There are two integral components of Load Theory, i.e. ‘cognitive load’ and ‘perceptual load’ with the former concept receiving less attention in the literature. The core assumptions of Load Theory, with an emphasis on ‘cognitive load’,have been systematically investigated in this thesis using electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS). The current research uncovered robust working memory (WM) effects in the healthy youngeradult populationwhich partially supported Load Theory. Experiment 1 revealed that the WM load effect on distractor processing increases when more items were held in WM but can plateau at a certain set-size(i.e.,3 items). In Experiment 2, the direction of distractor interference was inconsistent across the behavioural measures of reaction times and error rates, with the latter in support of Load Theory. In contrast, therewas strong electrophysiological evidence (i.e.,the N2pc and Pd components) for increased susceptibility to peripheral distractors under low WM load conditions (remembering one item). The behavioural effects of Experiments1and 2 which partially supported Load Theory, were not replicated with a TMS protocol (Experiment 3). There were significant effects, partially supporting Load Theory, when the spatial position of distractor and a subsequent target item was considered. Altogether, the findings have contributed to a clearer understanding of WM load effects, especially in terms of the attentional processes involved in distractor processing within a single-task setting. The results have provided recommendations of factors which were omitted in Load Theory such as the distinction of functions (updating and shifting) rather than positing a general executive load. This understanding can inform future research specifically targeting visual processing, WM and selective attention processes which can be extrapolated to everyday situations where attention to detail is crucial

Neural correlates of priming in vision: evidence from neuropsychology and neuroimaging

Hægt er að lesa greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenWhen we look around us, we are overall more likely to notice objects that we have recently looked at; an effect known as priming. For example, when the color or shape of a visual search target is repeated, observers find the target faster than otherwise. Here I summarize recent research undertaken to uncover the temporary changes in brain activity that accompany these priming effects. In light of the fact that priming seems to have a large effect on how attention is allocated, we investigated priming effects in a visual search task on patients suffering from the neurological disorder "hemispatial neglect" in which patients typically fail to notice display items in one of their visual hemifields. Priming of target color was relatively normal for these patients, while priming of target location seemed to require awareness of the briefly presented visual search target. An experiment with functional magnetic resonance imaging of normal observers revealed that both color and location priming had a strong modulatory influence on attentional mechanisms of the frontal and parietal cortex. Color priming was also correlated with changes in activity in visual cortex as well as color processing areas in the temporal lobe. Location priming was correlated with changes in activity near the temporo- parietal junction and lateral inferior frontal cortex, areas that have been connected with attentional capture; which ties well with our finding of deficits of location priming for the neglect patients who indeed have lesions in the temporo-parietal junction. Overall, the results confirm the tight coupling of visual attention and priming in vision, and also that the visual areas of the brain show some modulation of activity as priming develops.Þegar við horfum í kringum okkur erum við að jafnaði líklegri til þess að taka eftir hlutum sem hafa svipaða eiginleika og þeir hlutir sem við höfum nýverið horft á. Dæmi um ýfingu (priming) af þessu tagi er að þegar litur eða lögun mark­áreitis í sjónleitarverkefni er endurtekinn eru þátttakendur að jafnaði fljótari að finna áreitið en annars. Rannsakað var hvaða tímabundnar breytingar verða á heilastarfi mannsins þegar þessi ýfingaráhrif eiga sér stað. Ýfingaráhrifin virðast hafa áhrif á það hverju við veitum athygli hverju sinni og því voru birtingarmyndir ýfingaráhrifa í sjónleitarverkefni athugaðar í sjúklingum með taugabilunina gaumstol (hemispatial neglect) sem má rekja til heilaskemmda í hvirfilblaði heila, og einkennist af truflunum á því að veita áreitum í öðru hvoru sjónsviði athygli. Ýfingaráhrif vegna litar markáreitis voru óbreytt hjá þessum sjúklingum en rannsókn þar sem áreiti voru einungis birt í 200 millisekúndur sýndi að ýfing vegna endurtekinnar staðsetningar markáreitis var háð því að sjúklingarnir tækju eftir markáreitinu. Starfræn segulómmyndunarrannsókn (fMRI) á heilbrigðum þátttakendum leiddi í ljós að taugakerfi í hvirfil- og ennisblaði sem tengjast verkan eftirtektar tengdust ýfingaráhrifum, en jafnframt tengdust litaýfingaráhrif virkni í sjónsvæðum hnakkablaðs og á litasvæðum í gagnaugablaði. Ýfingaráhrif tengd endurtekningu staðsetningar markáreitisins tengdist jafnframt virkni á svæðum á mótum hnakka- og gagnaugablaðs og á hliðlægum hluta ennisblaðs sem hafa verið talin tengd því þegar eitthvað fangar athygli okkar, og eru þessi svæði í gagnauga- og hvirfilblaði einmitt þau svæði sem eru oftast skemmd í gaumstoli. Í heild staðfesta niðurstöðurnar tengsl ýfingaráhrifa í sjónskynjun og eftirtekt, en bera því jafnframt vott að breytingar á virkni í sjónsvæðum heilans tengist ýfingaráhrifum

Goal-driven, stimulus-driven, and history-driven selection

In this paper, I present a framework which considers three independent factors that drive attentional selection. In addition to goal-driven and stimulus-driven selection, I discuss how lingering biases of selection history play a major role in attentional selection. Visual statistical learning of the regularities in the environment forms the basis for this history-based selection which provides an elaborate and flexible attentional biasing mechanism above and beyond goal-driven and stimulus-driven factors. A selection based on experience and history is fast, automatic and occurs without much, if any, effort. I conclude that learning and extracting the distributional properties of the environment have a major impact on attentional selection