Biomedical subjects

V Manahilov

Publications and source records attributed to V Manahilov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Matched filtering in motion detection and discrimination.

When humans detect and discriminate visual motion, some neural mechanism extracts the motion information that is embedded in the noisy spatio-temporal stimulus. We show that an ideal mechanism in a motion discrimination experiment cross-correlates the received waveform with the signals to be discriminated. If the human visual system uses such a cross-correlator mechanism, discrimination performance should depend on the cross-correlation between the two signals. Manipulations of the signals' cross-correlation using differences in the speed and phase of moving gratings produced the predicted changes in the performance of human observers. The cross-correlator's motion performance improves linearly as contrast increases and human performance is similar. The ideal cross-correlator can be implemented by passing the stimulus through linear spatio-temporal filters matched to the signals. We propose that directionally selective simple cells in the striate cortex serve as matched filters during motion detection and discrimination.

Humans↗

PubMed2001

Energy model for contrast detection: spatial-frequency and orientation selectivity in grating summation.

Models of spatial vision usually assume a "front-end" of spatial-frequency and orientation selective channels. Subthreshold-summation studies have provided some of the strongest support for this notion. We applied a single-channel energy model and a multiple-channels probability-summation model to explore subthreshold-summation phenomena. We measured the contrast thresholds for detection of two superimposed Gabor patches as a function of the spatial-frequency and orientation difference between the components. The stimuli were centred 7.5 deg above the fixation point and were windowed by a Gaussian function with one of two different spatial spreads. We have shown that the spatial-frequency and orientation selectivity in subthreshold summation of Gabor patches is determined by the similarity (cross-correlation) between the stimulus components. A single-channel energy model as well as a multiple-channels probability-summation model could explain the summation data.

Contrast Sensitivity↗

PubMed2001

Spatial summation of peripheral Gabor patches.

Previous studies have specified the foveal pattern that is seen most efficiently, with the assumption that the waveform of the best pattern matches the impulse response of the most sensitive visual filter. We measured the threshold contrast for circular, collinear, and orthogonal Gabor stimuli of 6 Hz temporal frequency presented 7 deg above the fixation point. We found that the threshold contrast energy is minimal for a class of stimuli whose Fourier-spectra bandwidth is less than approximately 1 octave. These findings suggest that an energy algorithm might underlie spatial summation of peripheral Gabor patches. The different behavior of spatial summation in fovea and periphery might reflect the differences in pattern detectability across space in the central and peripheral visual fields. It is also possible that a coherent (cross-correlation) algorithm is employed in detection of foveal stimuli and that an incoherent (energy) algorithm is employed in detection of peripheral stimuli.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Spatial summation of blue-on-yellow light increments and decrements in human vision.

In the primate retina, blue-OFF cells are less numerous than blue-ON cells but no psychophysical equivalent of this asymmetry has been found so far. The hypothesis put forward in the present study is that the ON-OFF asymmetry should manifest itself in the size and effectiveness of spatial summation of S-cone signals of opposite polarity. To test this hypothesis upon selective stimulation of the S-cones in man, a 3 cd/m(2) blue light was superimposed on a 300 cd/m(2) yellow background and the test stimulus consisted in a luminance increment or decrement of the blue light from its steady level over a circular area of variable size. The test stimuli were presented at 12.5 degrees retinal eccentricity. Within the test-stimulus spectral band, sensitivity was that of Stiles' pi(1) mechanism. Increasing stimulus area reduced more the decrement threshold than the increment threshold, and Ricco's area was larger for luminance decrements (0.8-2 degrees ) than for increments (0.6-0.9 degrees ). Experiments with red-on-red stimuli confirmed that the large summation area and stimulus-polarity-dependent spatial summation are specific for the isolated S-cone signals. The sign-dependency of spatial summation is probably a psychophysical correlate of the asymmetry of the ON- and OFF- visual pathways receiving S-cone input.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Energy model for contrast detection: spatiotemporal characteristics of threshold vision.

A model for contrast detection of spatiotemporal stimuli is proposed which consists of a spatiotemporal linear filter, an energy device and a threshold device. Assuming the existence of independent intrinsic noise, the probability of stimulus detection was approximated by a Weibull function of the response energy. With this assumption, the stimulus energy is a constant at fixed detection probability. This energy model for contrast detection satisfactorily accounted for the elliptical threshold contours of line pairs at stimulus separations within the range 2-30 min and at stimulus onset asynchronies within the range 20-140 ms. The threshold contour at a large stimulus onset asynchrony (300 ms) was in the form of a rounded square. This finding was explained by assuming that the probability of seeing the line pair was determined by the joint probability that at least one stimulus had been detected. With the energy model, the temporal and spatial autocorrelation functions of the response to a flashed line were evaluated. The autocorrelation functions thus determined were used to predict the temporal contrast sensitivity function to a flickering line stimulus and the spatial contrast sensitivity function to flashed gratings, which were in agreement with the experimental data. The data obtained were fitted adequately by an impulse response approximated by a spatiotemporal Gabor-like function.

Contrast Sensitivity↗

PubMed1999

Is motion processing unitary?

Motion discrimination space is conventionally categorized into motion detection, speed discrimination, and direction discrimination tasks. But an ideal observer uses a unitary motion mechanism that is affected only by the noise level and the difference in speed (or displacement) between two stimuli. We tested whether human performance in the various motion tasks showed the working of a unitary mechanism or the combined outputs of more than one mechanism. We examined the whole motion discrimination space, using random dots that underwent a sudden jump or displacement. The discriminability was measured as a function of the standard and comparison displacements. Both the ideal observer model and a nonideal observer model that contains additive internal noise predict a planar response surface. When the dot motion was noiseless, the planar surface fitted well except for much higher than expected sensitivity for motion detection. This is consistent with a purely temporal mechanism that uses flicker or a purely spatial mechanism that uses the length of time-averaged streaks. It is also consistent with a Weber's law device. When motion noise was added to the displays, the planar response surface again fitted well, although the residuals showed the presence of a speed energy mechanism. We conclude that a unitary motion mechanism exists (nonideal observer model), although its performance may be supplemented by other mechanisms whose main impact is on discrimination of speeds near zero.

Artifacts↗

PubMed1998

Triphasic temporal impulse responses and Mach bands in time.

The effect of inducing stimuli on the luminance of a brief test stimulus (2.5'-wide line) required to match the brightness of a comparison stimulus was measured at various stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). Assuming that the test brightness is determined by the peak response to the test stimulus, the difference in the test brightness in the absence and in the presence of an inducing stimulus as a function of the SOA was employed as a measure of the temporal response to the inducing stimulus. The temporal responses to brief decremental inducing stimuli (a 2.5'-wide line and a 30'-wide bar) consisted of three oscillations, the middle one being the largest. The triphasic form of the temporal impulse responses was confirmed by measuring the temporal step responses to these stimuli. The step responses consisted of alternating positive and negative phases which might be regarded as a temporal analogue of the Mach bands in space. The data obtained were described by a model of the weighting function which was assumed to be a spatiotemporal Gabor-like function.

Humans↗

PubMed1998

Spatiotemporal impulse response and cortical magnification.

According to a model of the spatiotemporal weighting function (Manahilov, V. Spatiotemporal visual response at suprathreshold stimuli. Vision Research, 1995, 35, 227-237; and Triphasic temporal impulse responses and Mach bands in time. Vision Research, 38, 447-458) the waveform of the temporal-impulse response and the cortical spread of the spatial-impulse response should not depend on the retinal site of stimulation. To verify these model predictions, the spatiotemporal responses to brief near-threshold lines presented in the fovea and the near retinal periphery were studied. The effect of an inducing stimulus on the threshold for pattern detection of a test stimulus was measured, assuming that the pattern-detection threshold was determined by the test peak response. The spatial spread of the line response expressed in visual-field units was increased with eccentricity. The temporal-impulse responses to foveal and peripheral stimuli were similar. The model of the weighting function was used to evaluate the relative magnification factor for the retinal location tested. The calculated cortical spatial-impulse responses did not depend on the stimulation site. The data obtained are in line with the cortical magnification theory of peripheral vision.

Humans↗

PubMed1995

Spatiotemporal visual response to suprathreshold stimuli.

The spatiotemporal visual response to an inducing bar of a short duration was studied by a brightness-matching procedure. The apparent brightness of a test line, presented in the centre of an inducing bar, exhibited a U-shaped dependence of the inducing-bar width with a minimum at about 4.5' width. The temporal response to a 4.5'-wide inducing stimulus consisted of three alternating phases, the middle one being the largest. The spatial spread of the response to this stimulus was initially restricted in the area of the inducing bar, later it was extended to adjacent positions achieving a triphasic form and still later faded away. These findings indicate that the response to a spatiotemporal impulse of suprathreshold luminance is triphasic in time and the spatial spread of the response depends on the time after the stimulus onset. A model was presented assuming that the spatiotemporal weighting function might be described by a spherical harmonic function modulated by a Gaussian function. The model predictions agreed with the data obtained.

Contrast Sensitivity↗

PubMed1995

Grating detection and identification dissociated by pattern adaptation.

It two gratings differ in a higher harmonic only, grating identification is expected to depend on that harmonic detection. Yet the comparison of data from several studies suggests that pattern adaptation might differently affect detection and identification. In order to verify this dissociation, a study was made of the effects of adaptation to complex gratings and their harmonics on the detection of the harmonics and on the identification of the complex gratings. Square-wave, first-plus-third-harmonic and missing-fundamental complex gratings were used. The threshold was measured either by the two-interval forced-choice method or by the one-interval method of constant stimuli. For all types of stimuli and procedures, the detection threshold was mostly elevated after adaptation to the corresponding harmonic and the identification threshold was mostly elevated after adaptation to the complex stimulus. This dissociation could only partly be related to the presence of higher harmonics or to the psychophysical procedure. Analysis of threshold changes by adaptation and of phenomenal stimulus appearance suggests that both local features and more global features might contribute to grating identification.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

PubMed1994

Spatial-frequency specific contrast gain and flicker masking of human transient VEP.

We studied the effects of grating contrast and luminance-flicker masking on the early waves of human visually evoked potentials (VEPs) recorded at the onset-offset of sinusoidal gratings of varying spatial frequencies (SFs). At high SFs, the response waveform was simple and VEP was dominated by a negative wave (N110). At low SFs, several positive-negative deflections were recorded, the earliest dominating wave being positive (P90). The amplitude of P90 was saturated at a contrast of about 0.1 and it was attenuated by flicker masking. Masking involved to a lesser extent the waves following P90. It was weaker at the flicker frequency of 5 Hz than at 10 and 20 Hz. No flicker masking was found at SFs higher than 2-4 c/deg. At medium and high SFs, VEPs were obtained at higher contrast levels. No saturation (max contrast tested 0.5) and no flicker masking of N110 were observed. These results suggest that the early VEP components recorded at low and high SFs are related to different types of neuronal activity. Correlation between VEP properties and properties of magnocellular and parvocellular pathways is considered with an emphasis on recent morphological data about the human retina.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

The laplacian analysis of the pattern onset response in man.

The pattern onset VEP described by means of principal component analysis was shown to be composed of at least two overlapping time components, of which one has a striate and the other an extrastriate origin. This analysis was based on a multi (24)-electrode registration. We looked for a technique that can distinguish, with a limited number of electrodes, between the striate and extrastriate components and can be applied in the clinic. The calculation of a 5-point 'Laplacian' operator over the striate area enhances the contribution of the striate source relative to the contribution of the extrastriate source that lies outside the area of the operator, and vice versa. We applied two 5-point operators, one centered on Oz and the other 6 cm left of Oz. This montage allowed for the selective recording of the striate and extrastriate activities separately. This was proved by means of an adaptation paradigm that selectively reduced the striate contribution. Application of the laplacian operator for clinical practice is exemplified by means of the VEPs of a patient suspected of psychogenic hemianopsia.

Brain↗

PubMed1991

Grating detection and identification: comparison of postadaptation reaction times.

The effect of pattern adaptation on grating detection and grating identification was investigated by the method of reaction time. The test and adapting stimuli were sinusoidal vertical gratings. Adaptation caused a spatial frequency-selective increase of the mean detection reaction times. However, the mean identification reaction times were delayed regardless of the adapting spatial frequency. The similarity of the present results with some data about visually evoked potentials is discussed.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

PubMed1991

Hemisphere asymmetry of the visually evoked potentials elicited by gratings of varying spatial frequency.

Visually evoked potentials (VEP) were recorded upon hemifield stimulation with sinusoidal gratings of varying spatial frequency (SF). Recording was bipolar from 0.1-0.2. The gratings were presented randomly in the left, in the right or in both visual hemifields. No systematic VEP asymmetry was observed at low SF. At SFs above 1.5-2 cpd, however, the early wave peaking at about 100 msec after grating onset was usually of greater amplitude when the grating was presented in the left visual field. In previous experiments of our, contrast sensitivity was almost the same in both hemifields. Thus, the VEP data suggest right-hemisphere specialization in processing high SFs and their comparison with the contrast sensitivity data suggests that this specialization occurs at a level higher than stimulus detection or is evident at suprathreshold contrast levels only.

Electroencephalography↗

PubMed1990

Hemisphere asymmetry in the detection of gratings of varying spatial frequency.

Visual field symmetry in contrast sensitivity was investigated under conditions of spatial uncertainty. The stimuli were sinusoidal gratings of varying spatial frequency (SF). They were presented randomly in the left, right or in both visual hemifields. The percent detected gratings were slightly higher than the gratings in the left visual field except for gratings of low SF (0.24-0.48 c/deg). The results suggest the existence of a slight left-field (right-hemisphere) superiority in detecting stimuli of medium and high SF. The asymmetry is too slight to allow any significant difference in the SF-content of the neural representation of the left and right halves of the images; neither might it provide an explanation of some recent data on hemispheric specialization, in particular visual tasks.

Brain↗

PubMed1988

Application of the equiweight analysis method for the evaluation of the origin of the N1 and N2 waves of visual evoked potentials.

The applicability of the equiweight analysis method was studied with a view to evaluating the position in depth of the two dominating waves of the visual evoked potentials, recorded from the scalp of human subjects upon the appearance of a sinusoidal grating. The stimulus spatial frequency was 2, 4, 8 or 16 c/deg and its contrast was 0.2 or 0.3. The data of the topographic studies confirm earlier observations that the N1 wave with latency of about 100 ms was localized medially with maximum in Oz, while the N2 wave with latency of about 150 ms was spread over a wider area of the scalp. The results of the equiweight analysis corresponded to the evidence of cortical origin of N1. The wide propagation of the N2 wave proved to be an obstacle for the applicability of the method, although it seems promising when the source of the visual evoked potential is limited in area.

Electrodes↗

PubMed1986

The effect of standing contrast and pattern adaptation on the human visually evoked potential.

Human visually evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded with sinusoidal gratings of low (0.5 c/deg), medium (4 c/deg) and high (16 c/deg) spatial frequency (SF). Simultaneous recording from Oz-A1, O2-A1 and Oz-O2 allowed the separation of the early and late VEP waves for most subjects. The effect of standing contrast and pattern adaptation on these waves was studied. At low SF both early and late waves were not affected by standing contrast or adaptation with motionless grating, while adaptation with a drifting grating reduced them. At medium and high SFs both principal negative waves. N1 and N2, were reduced by standing contrast and pattern adaptation. The amplitude of N2 saturated at low contrast level (0.1) and was reduced after adaptation regardless of the SF of test and adapting stimuli, while the amplitude of N1 did not saturate up to the contrast level of 0.3 and exhibited SF-selective adaptation. The adapted onset-VEP was similar to the offset-VEP. The data suggest that: the early wave is generated by multiple narrowly tuned SF-selective structures that are medially positioned while the generators of the late wave are not SF-selective and occupy a wider area centered laterally; the effects of standing contrast and pattern adaptation on VEPs, as well as the relationship of onset and offset VEPs, reflect the time-course of neural activity evoked by long-lasting stimuli.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

PubMed1986

The effect of grating contrast on the human visually evoked potential.

Visually evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded from the human occiput at the appearance of sinusoidal gratings. Grating spatial frequency was 4 c/deg, at which both the early and late negative waves, N1 and N2 were present in VEP. Increasing grating contrast from a near-threshold value, 0.006, to the value of 0.3, the maximum in the linear range of the device, resulted in a peak-latency shortening and an amplitude increase of both N1 and N2. While the latencies changed in parallel, the amplitudes did not. The N1 amplitude increased almost linearly with log contrast in the whole range tested. The amplitude of N2 was large at the lowest contrast level, increased by a factor of about 2 and saturated at the contrast of 0.05. The results suggest a greater contrast sensitivity of the generator of N2 than of the generator of N1 and support the assumption that these generators belong to structures with different properties and functions.

Electroencephalography↗