PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Pattern Recognition, Visual”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 901 records · Page 50Linked to original sources

The dynamics of the cat retinal Y cell subunit.

1. The dynamics of the subunit mechanism of individual cat Y retinal ganglion cells are investigated. In order to isolate the response of the non-linear subunit mechanism, the visual stimuli were sine gratings of a spatial frequency sufficiently high so that contrast reversal of the grating elicited no fundamental response in any spatial phase. For study of the non-linear subunit mechanism, the contrast of the spatial spine grating was varied in time by a temporal modulation signal, consisting of either a square wave or a sum of sinusoids. 2. The responses of twenty-three Y ganglion cells (sixteen on-centre, seven off-centre) to these two stimulus types were measured at a range of contrasts. Responses to the sum-of-sinusoids signal were characterized by the second-order frequency kernel. The overall size of the second-order frequency kernel was approximately proportional to contrast. The deviation from proportionality suggested a power-law scaling, with a power in the range 0.8-0.9. 3. Square-wave responses, as characterized by the post-stimulus histogram, demonstrated identical responses at both reversals of the grating. A similar contrast dependence was observed in the overall size of the square-wave responses. 4. In order to attempt to predict the square-wave responses from the sum-of-sinusoids responses, the second-order frequency kernel measured at each contrast level was fitted with a lumped linear-static non-linear-linear model. In eighteen of twenty-three cells (eleven on-centre, seven off-centre), this model provided an adequate description of the response to the sum-of-sinusoids stimulus. In these cells, the linear-static non-linear-linear model accurately reproduced the square-wave response. 5. In the remaining five ganglion cells (all on-centre), the second-order frequency kernel could not be fitted by a linear-static non-linear-linear model. This diversity of dynamical properties among Y cells was not apparent from the responses of these Y cells to the square-wave temporal stimulus. 6. In the eighteen Y ganglion cells that were fitted well with the linear-static non-linear-linear model, substantial variation of the dynamical parameters was found. However, there were systematic differences between the dynamics of the typical on-centre and off-centre ganglion cells. These differences relate to both linear stages of the model, and are not merely consequences of the lower firing rate of the off-centre cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗

Rapid adaptation in visual cortex to the structure of images.

Complex cells in striate cortex of macaque showed a rapid pattern-specific adaptation. Adaptation made cells more sensitive to orientation change near the adapting orientation. It reduced correlations among the responses of populations of cells, thereby increasing the information transmitted by each action potential. These changes were brought about by brief exposures to stationary patterns, on the time scale of a single fixation. Thus, if successive fixations expose neurons' receptive fields to images with similar but not identical structure, adaptation will remove correlations and improve discriminability.

Action Potentials↗

Effects of attention and stimulus interaction on visual responses of inferior temporal neurons in macaque.

1. Extracellular discharges were recorded from neurons in the inferior temporal cortex (area TE) of three macaque monkeys while they performed visual fixation and pattern discrimination tasks. For the pattern discrimination task, monkey was trained to release the lever quickly at the onset of one of two pattern stimuli and to release the lever at the dimming of the other pattern. During this task, neutral light stimulus (light bar) to which the monkey was not required to respond was presented once a trial either prior to the onset of the discriminandum or during presentation of the pattern that dimmed later. The neuronal activities evoked by the neutral stimulus under these two conditions were compared. 2. When the discriminanda were located at the center or at 5 degrees in the contralateral visual field, one-half of the neurons showed significantly smaller responses to the neutral stimulus when it was presented during presentation of the dimming pattern than when it was presented prior to the onset of the discriminandum. 3. The suppressive effect depended on the location of the two stimuli. When the neutral stimulus was located in the ipsilateral visual field and the pattern was located in the contralateral visual field, the response to the neutral stimulus was suppressed. However, when the pattern was located in the ipsilateral visual field (5 degrees visual angle), still within the receptive field for many neurons, the suppressive effect of the pattern on the response to the neutral stimulus in the contralateral visual field was almost undetectable. 4. When the pattern was located nearer the fovea than was the neutral stimulus, the suppressive effect was greater than when the pattern was located more peripherally to the neutral stimulus. Different from the receptive field of more primary visual neurons, this suppressive effect did not appear to be related to the neuron's responsiveness to the patterns nor to precise stimulus location in the receptive field. 5. The magnitude of suppression by the attended pattern on the visual response during the pattern discrimination task correlated with the suppression noted in the presence of a fixation spot during the fixation tasks, while the animals did not fixate on the attended pattern. The response of some neurons to the neutral stimulus prior to pattern presentation during the pattern discrimination task was enhanced slightly compared with the response recorded during the simple fixation task.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Comparison of neuronal selectivity for stimulus speed, length, and contrast in the prestriate visual cortical areas V4 and MT of the macaque monkey.

1. Prestriate area V4 and the middle temporal area (MT) compose the first stage in which the ventral and dorsal visual cortical pathways are segregated. To better known the functional dichotomy between the two pathways at this level, we recorded cell responses from V4 and MT using anesthetized, immobilized macaque monkeys and compared the selectivity for speed of stimulus motion and stimulus length and the sensitivity to luminance contrast between the two areas. 2. V4 cells were as selective as MT cells for speed. The sharpness of tuning was not different between the two populations. The optimal speed varied widely in both areas, but both of the two distributions showed peaks at 32 degrees/s. 3. V4 and MT cells were similar in that about one-half of the cells (45% in V4 and 48% in MT) showed inhibition by long (16 degrees) bars. However, V4 cells preferred stimuli whose lengths were distributed around the lengths of the receptive field, whereas an overwhelming majority of MT cells preferred stimuli whose lengths were much shorter than the lengths of the receptive field. 4. The cutoff contrast at which one-half the maximum response was elicited was distributed widely in both areas, and the two distributions considerably overlapped. MT cells as a whole, however, were slightly more sensitive to the luminance contrast than V4 cells. 5. There was a tendency toward local clustering for cells with similar speed preferences in MT but not in V4. Pairs of MT cells recorded within 400 microns had smaller difference in the optimal speed than that of cell pairs taken randomly from the whole sample of MT cells.

Animals↗

Binocularity in the little owl, Athene noctua. I. Anatomical investigation of the thalamo-Wulst pathway.

The efferent projections from the visual thalamus to the Wulst were studied in the little owl, Athene noctua. Cells of origin were identified by retrograde labeling after injections of wheat-germ-agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase into the Wulst. The labeled-cell distribution was correlated with the distribution of anterogradely labeled retinal terminals as revealed by intraocular injections of horseradish peroxidase. The results demonstrated a bilateral thalamofugal visual pathway ascending from the nucleus dorsolateralis anterior thalami (DLA). Projections from the visual thalamus to the Wulst showed a specific and orderly pattern, and retrogradely labeled cells of DLA were distributed equally, in a complementary fashion, on both sides of the brain, with a small region of overlap. Retinal termination fields in DLA largely overlapped relay neurons projecting to either Wulst, although the overlap was not complete. Despite differences in the organization of avian and mammalian visual pathways, which reflect their separate evolutionary origins, similarities between the DLA in the little owl and the lateral geniculate nucleus in mammals suggest that, during evolution similar selective pressures for binocularity led to a similar morphological organization.

Animals↗

Binocularity in the little owl, Athene noctua. II. Properties of visually evoked potentials from the Wulst in response to monocular and binocular stimulation with sine wave gratings.

Visually evoked potentials (VEPs) have been recorded from the Wulst surface of the little owl, Athene noctua, in response to counterphase-reversal of sinusoidal gratings with different contrast, spatial frequency and mean luminance, presented either monocularly or binocularly. Monocular full-field stimuli presented to either eye evoked VEPs of similar amplitude, waveform and latency. Under binocular viewing, VEPs approximately doubled in amplitude without waveform changes. VEPs with similar characteristics could be obtained in response to stimulation of the contralateral, but not ipsilateral, hemifield. These results suggest that a 50% recrossing occurs in thalamic efferents and that different ipsilateral and contralateral regions converge onto the same Wulst sites. The VEP amplitude progressively decreased with increase of the spatial frequency beyond 2 cycles/degree, and the high spatial frequency cut-off (VEP acuity) was under binocular viewing (8 cycles/degree) higher than under monocular (5 cycles/degree) viewing (200 cd/m2, 45% contrast). The VEP acuity increased with increase in the contrast and decreased with reduction of the mean luminance. The binocular gain in both VEP amplitude and VEP acuity was largest at the lowest luminance levels. Binocular VEP summation occurred in the medium-high contrast range. With decreased contrast, both monocular and binocular VEPs progressively decreased in amplitude and tended to the same contrast threshold. The VEP contrast threshold depended on the spatial frequency (0.6-1.8% in the range 0.12-2 cycles/degree). Binocular VEPs often showed facilitatory interaction (binocular/monocular amplitude ratio greater than 2), but the binocular VEP amplitude did not change either by changing the stimulus orientation (horizontal vs. vertical gratings) or by inducing different retinal disparities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

On and off contribution to the combined occipital on-off response to a pattern stimulus.

The hypothesis, derived from previous studies, that the off response forms the main part of the second positive wave (P2) in the occipital response to the presentation of patterns was tested by using stimuli of various durations. It was found that the off response merges with P2 of the on response in the combined on-off response. The question, however, whether the on response or the off response contributes most to the combined on-off response could not be answered. By applying hemifield stimulation, the experiments furthermore confirm the concept of the presence of a double dipole in the hemisphere contralateral to the stimulated side.

Evoked Potentials, Visual↗

Relations between visual acuity, refraction and the pattern reversal visual-evoked cortical potential in aphakia.

The investigations included 20 aphakic patients. Relations were established between visual acuity, refraction and the pattern reversal visual-evoked cortical potentials (PRVECP). Close correlations were found between the three values. The optimum correction for obtaining best visual acuity, the skiascopic value, and the correction value for obtaining the largest PRVECP amplitude at minimum peak time differ by an average of 0.5 dptr.

Aged↗

Modulation of induced gamma band responses in a perceptual learning task in the human EEG.

Fragmented pictures of an object, which appear meaningless when seen for the first time, can easily be identified after the presentation of an unfragmented version of the same picture. The neuronal mechanism for such a rapid perceptual learning phenomenon is largely unknown. Recently, induced gamma band responses (GBRs) have been discussed as a possible physiological correlate of activity in cell assemblies formed by learning. The present study was designed to investigate the modulation of induced GBRs in a perceptual learning task by using a 128-channel EEG montage. In the first sequence of the experiment, fragmented pictures from the Snodgrass and Vandervart inventory were presented. The fragmentation of the pictures was selected that subjects were unable to identify them. In the second experimental sequence - the perceptual learning sequence - half of the pictures were displayed in their unfragmented version. In the third sequence, all pictures were presented again in the fragmented version. Now, subjects had to rate whether or not they could identify the images. Results showed an increase in spectral gamma power at parietal electrode sites for identified pictures. In addition, neural activity in the gamma band was highly synchronized between posterior electrodes. For pictures not presented in their complete version, we found no such pattern in the third sequence. From our results, we concluded that induced GBRs might represent a signature of synchronized neural activity in a Hebbian cell assembly, activated by the fragmented picture after perceptual learning took place. No difference between identified and unidentified pictures was found in the visual evoked potential in the same time range and in the evoked GBR in the same frequency range as the induced response.

Adult↗

Electrophysiological evidence of the capture of visual attention.

We investigated the ability of salient yet task-irrelevant stimuli to capture attention in two visual search experiments. Participants were presented with circular search arrays that contained a highly salient distractor singleton defined by color and a less salient target singleton defined by form. A component of the event-related potential called the N2pc was used to track the allocation of attention to lateralized positions in the arrays. In Experiment 1, a lateralized distractor elicited an N2pc when a concurrent target was presented on the vertical meridian and thus could not elicit lateralized components such as the N2pc. A similar distractor-elicited N2pc was found in Experiment 2, which was conducted to rule out certain voluntary search strategies. Additionally, in Experiment 2 both the distractor and the target elicited the N2pc component when the two stimuli were presented on opposite sides of the search array. Critically, the distractor-elicited N2pc preceded the target-elicited N2pc on these trials. These results demonstrate that participants shifted attention to the target only after shifting attention to the more salient but task-irrelevant distractor. This pattern of results is in line with theories of attention in which stimulus-driven control plays an integral role.

Adult↗

Modulation of face-sensitive event-related potentials by canonical and distorted human faces: the role of vertical symmetry and up-down featural arrangement.

This study examined the sensitivity of early face-sensitive event-related potential (ERP) components to the disruption of two structural properties embedded in faces, namely, "updown featural arrangement" and "vertical symmetry." Behavioral measures and ERPs were recorded as adults made an orientation judgment for canonical faces and distorted faces that had been manipulated for either or both of the mentioned properties. The P1, the N170, and the vertex positive potential (VPP) exhibited a similar gradient in sensitivity to the two investigated properties, in that they all showed a linear increase in amplitude or latency as the properties were selectively disrupted in the order of (1) up-down featural arrangement, (2) vertical symmetry, and (3) both up-down featural arrangement and vertical symmetry. Exceptions to this finding were seen for the amplitudes of the N170 and VPP, which were largest for the stimulus in which solely vertical symmetry was disrupted. Interestingly, the enhanced amplitudes of the N170 and VPP are consistent with a drop in behavioral performance on the orientation judgment for this stimulus.

Adolescent↗

A reevaluation of the electrophysiological correlates of expert object processing.

Subordinate-level object processing is regarded as a hallmark of perceptual expertise. However, the relative contribution of subordinate- and basic-level category experience in the acquisition of perceptual expertise has not been clearly delineated. In this study, participants learned to classify wading birds and owls at either the basic (e.g., wading bird, owl) or the subordinate (e.g., egret, snowy owl) level. After 6 days of training, behavioral results showed that subordinate-level but not basic-level training improved subordinate discrimination of trained exemplars, novel exemplars, and exemplars from novel species. Event-related potentials indicated that both basic- and subordinate-level training enhanced the early N170 component, but only subordinate-level training amplified the later N250 component. These results are consistent with models positing separate basic and subordinate learning mechanisms, and, contrary to perspectives attempting to explain visual expertise solely in terms of subordinate-level processing, suggest that expertise enhances neural responses of both basic and subordinate processing.

Adult↗

Prognostic value of preoperative flash and pattern visual evoked potentials for diabetic retinopathy vitrectomy.

In view of the continuing controversy about the prognostic value of preoperative visual evoked potentials in diabetic vitrectomy, we retrospectively studied 31 eyes undergoing vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy after recording pattern and/or flash visual evoked potential recording. Preoperative pattern visual evoked potentials were of no prognostic value in these eyes but a decrease in the amplitude of preoperative flash visual evoked potentials was significantly correlated with unchanged or worsened postoperative visual acuity when compared with preoperative visual acuity (P = 0.0156, Fisher's exact test). Therefore, while acknowledging that diabetic vitrectomy functional prognosis is actually multifactorial, we still recommend recording preoperative flash visual evoked potentials for diabetic patients in whom significant opacities of the intraocular media preclude correct examination of the ocular fundus, because a decrease in peak III amplitude may indicate a guarded vitrectomy functional prognosis.

Adult↗

Pattern reversal evoked potentials in psychiatric patients.

Elicitation of pattern reversal evoked potentials (PREPs) was added to routine clinical EEG examinations in 100 consecutive adult psychiatric admissions. Latencies and correlations between the peaks and troughs of the triphasic complex were examined with particular reference to current hypotheses about neurophysiologic dysfunctions in schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses. PREP data also were examined in relation to age, sex, handedness, concurrent medications, and the clinical EEG findings. The results obtained indicated that age, sex, handedness, neuroleptic and anticholinergic medications and underlying EEG characteristics exert minimal influences upon the PREP. Schizophrenics showed lower hemispheric correlations and greater response stability than did patients with other diagnoses. No lateralized differences in relation to diagnosis were identified.

Adult↗

Word and picture processing in children: an event-related potential study.

In an investigation of the N400 component, event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by 4 types of word stimuli (real words, pseudowords, random letter strings, and false fonts) and 3 types of picture stimuli (real pictures, pseudopictures, and picture parts) presented in separate lists were recorded from 10- and 11-year-old children. All types of word stimuli elicited an anteriorly distributed negativity peaking at about 400 msec (antN400). Words and pseudowords elicited similar ERPs, whereas ERPs to letter strings differed from those to both pseudowords and false fonts. All types of picture stimuli elicited dual anterior negativities (N350 and N430). Real pictures and pseudopictures elicited similar ERPs, whereas pseudopictures and picture parts elicited asymmetrical processing. The results are discussed in terms of increased sensitivity to and dependence on context in children.

Child↗

Effect of gamma-vinyl GABA on human pattern evoked visual potentials.

We studied the effects on human visual evoked potentials of gamma-vinyl GABA, an anticonvulsant drug that increases cerebral levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid. The subjects were 15 epileptic patients undergoing a clinical trial of this drug. Serial recordings were made from each patient periodically for 1 year. The stimulus was a reversing checkerboard pattern with a check size of 50 minutes. Plasma levels of other antiepileptic medications remained constant throughout the study. No changes, other than a normal variation of +/- 5 msec, were observed in peak latency throughout the study. These results indicate that there are no GABA-ergic effects on the P100 component evoked by large checkerboard pattern-reversal.

Adult↗