Neural correlates of motion processing through echolocation, source hearing, and vision in blind echolocation experts and sighted echolocation novices

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Thaler ◽  
J. L. Milne ◽  
S. R. Arnott ◽  
D. Kish ◽  
M. A. Goodale
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Planum Temporale ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Visual Cortical ◽  
Source Motion

We have shown in previous research (Thaler L, Arnott SR, Goodale MA. PLoS One 6: e20162, 2011) that motion processing through echolocation activates temporal-occipital cortex in blind echolocation experts. Here we investigated how neural substrates of echo-motion are related to neural substrates of auditory source-motion and visual-motion. Three blind echolocation experts and twelve sighted echolocation novices underwent functional MRI scanning while they listened to binaural recordings of moving or stationary echolocation or auditory source sounds located either in left or right space. Sighted participants' brain activity was also measured while they viewed moving or stationary visual stimuli. For each of the three modalities separately (echo, source, vision), we then identified motion-sensitive areas in temporal-occipital cortex and in the planum temporale. We then used a region of interest (ROI) analysis to investigate cross-modal responses, as well as laterality effects. In both sighted novices and blind experts, we found that temporal-occipital source-motion ROIs did not respond to echo-motion, and echo-motion ROIs did not respond to source-motion. This double-dissociation was absent in planum temporale ROIs. Furthermore, temporal-occipital echo-motion ROIs in blind, but not sighted, participants showed evidence for contralateral motion preference. Temporal-occipital source-motion ROIs did not show evidence for contralateral preference in either blind or sighted participants. Our data suggest a functional segregation of processing of auditory source-motion and echo-motion in human temporal-occipital cortex. Furthermore, the data suggest that the echo-motion response in blind experts may represent a reorganization rather than exaggeration of response observed in sighted novices. There is the possibility that this reorganization involves the recruitment of “visual” cortical areas.

Brain areas involved in echolocation motion processing in blind echolocation experts

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Lore Thaler ◽  
Jennifer Milne ◽  
Stephen R. Arnott ◽  
Melvyn A. Goodale
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Inferior Temporal Cortex ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Area Mt ◽  
Visual Motion Processing ◽  
Source Motion

People can echolocate their distal environment by making mouth-clicks and listening to the click-echoes. In previous work that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we have shown that the processing of echolocation motion increases activity in posterior/inferior temporal cortex (Thaler et al., 2011). In the current study we investigated, if brain areas that are sensitive to echolocation motion in blind echolocation experts correspond to visual motion area MT+. To this end we used fMRI to measure brain activity of two early blind echolocation experts while they listened to recordings of echolocation and auditory source sounds that could be either moving or stationary, and that could be located either to the left or to the right of the listener. A whole brain analysis revealed that echo motion and source motion activated different brain areas in posterior/inferior temporal cortex. Furthermore, the relative spatial arrangement of echo and source motion areas appeared to match the relative spatial arrangement of area MT+ and source motion areas that has been reported for sighted people (Saenz et al., 2008). Furthermore, we found that brain areas that were sensitive to echolocation motion showed a larger response to echo motion presented in contra-lateral space, a response pattern typical for visual motion processing in area MT+. In their entirety the data are consistent with the idea that brain areas that process echolocation motion in blind echolocation experts correspond to area MT+.

Neuroimaging of Direction-Selective Mechanisms for Second-Order Motion

2003 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 3242-3254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin'ya Nishida ◽  
Yuka Sasaki ◽  
Ikuya Murakami ◽  
Takeo Watanabe ◽  
Roger B. H. Tootell
Keyword(s):  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Selective Adaptation ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Motion Adaptation ◽  
Motion Stimulus ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Contingent Response ◽  
Visual Cortical

Psychophysical findings have revealed a functional segregation of processing for 1st-order motion (movement of luminance modulation) and 2nd-order motion (e.g., movement of contrast modulation). However neural correlates of this psychophysical distinction remain controversial. To test for a corresponding anatomical segregation, we conducted a new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to localize direction-selective cortical mechanisms for 1st- and 2nd-order motion stimuli, by measuring direction-contingent response changes induced by motion adaptation, with deliberate control of attention. The 2nd-order motion stimulus generated direction-selective adaptation in a wide range of visual cortical areas, including areas V1, V2, V3, VP, V3A, V4v, and MT+. Moreover, the pattern of activity was similar to that obtained with 1st-order motion stimuli. Contrary to expectations from psychophysics, these results suggest that in the human visual cortex, the direction of 2nd-order motion is represented as early as V1. In addition, we found no obvious anatomical segregation in the neural substrates for 1st- and 2nd-order motion processing that can be resolved using standard fMRI.

scholarly journals Representation of auditory motion directions and sound source locations in the human planum temporale

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceren Battal ◽  
Mohamed Rezk ◽  
Stefania Mattioni ◽  
Jyothirmayi Vadlamudi ◽  
Olivier Collignon
Keyword(s):  
Sound Source ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Hearing ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Planum Temporale ◽  
Auditory Motion ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTThe ability to compute the location and direction of sounds is a crucial perceptual skill to efficiently interact with dynamic environments. How the human brain implements spatial hearing is however poorly understood. In our study, we used fMRI to characterize the brain activity of male and female humans listening to left, right, up and down moving as well as static sounds. Whole brain univariate results contrasting moving and static sounds varying in their location revealed a robust functional preference for auditory motion in bilateral human Planum Temporale (hPT). Using independently localized hPT, we show that this region contains information about auditory motion directions and, to a lesser extent, sound source locations. Moreover, hPT showed an axis of motion organization reminiscent of the functional organization of the middle-temporal cortex (hMT+/V5) for vision. Importantly, whereas motion direction and location rely on partially shared pattern geometries in hPT, as demonstrated by successful cross-condition decoding, the responses elicited by static and moving sounds were however significantly distinct. Altogether our results demonstrate that the hPT codes for auditory motion and location but that the underlying neural computation linked to motion processing is more reliable and partially distinct from the one supporting sound source location.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn comparison to what we know about visual motion, little is known about how the brain implements spatial hearing. Our study reveals that motion directions and sound source locations can be reliably decoded in the human Planum Temporale (hPT) and that they rely on partially shared pattern geometries. Our study therefore sheds important new lights on how computing the location or direction of sounds are implemented in the human auditory cortex by showing that those two computations rely on partially shared neural codes. Furthermore, our results show that the neural representation of moving sounds in hPT follows a “preferred axis of motion” organization, reminiscent of the coding mechanisms typically observed in the occipital hMT+/V5 region for computing visual motion.

Cortical Dynamics of Anticipatory Mechanisms in Interception: A Neuromagnetic Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1827-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Senot ◽  
Sylvain Baillet ◽  
Bernard Renault ◽  
Alain Berthoz
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Visuomotor Task ◽  
Visual Motion Processing ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Ball Trajectory ◽  
Free Falling

Humans demonstrate an amazing ability for intercepting and catching moving targets, most noticeably in fast-speed ball games. However, the few studies exploring the neural bases of interception in humans and the classical studies on visual motion processing and visuomotor interactions have reported rather long latencies of cortical activations that cannot explain the performances observed in most natural interceptive actions. The aim of our experiment was twofold: (1) describe the spatio-temporal unfolding of cortical activations involved in catching a moving target and (2) provide evidence that fast cortical responses can be elicited by a visuomotor task with high temporal constraints and decide if these responses are task or stimulus dependent. Neuromagnetic brain activity was recorded with whole-head coverage while subjects were asked to catch a free-falling ball or simply pay attention to the ball trajectory. A fast, likely stimulus-dependent, propagation of neural activity was observed along the dorsal visual pathway in both tasks. Evaluation of latencies of activations in the main cortical regions involved in the tasks revealed that this entire network of regions was activated within 40 msec. Moreover, comparison of experimental conditions revealed similar patterns of activation except in contralateral sensorimotor regions where common and catch-specific activations were differentiated.

Neural Substrates of Perceptual Enhancement by Cross-Modal Spatial Attention

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. McDonald ◽  
Wolfgang A. Teder-Sälejärvi ◽  
Francesco Di Russo ◽  
Steven A. Hillyard
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Electrode Array ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Superior Temporal Cortex ◽  
Related Potentials

Orienting attention involuntarily to the location of a sudden sound improves perception of subsequent visual stimuli that appear nearby. The neural substrates of this cross-modal attention effect were investigated by recording event-related potentials to the visual stimuli using a dense electrode array and localizing their brain sources through inverse dipole modeling. A spatially nonpredictive auditory precue modulated visual-evoked neural activity first in the superior temporal cortex at 120–140 msec and then in the ventral occipital cortex of the fusiform gyrus 15–25 msec later. This spatio-temporal sequence of brain activity suggests that enhanced visual perception produced by the cross-modal orienting of spatial attention results from neural feedback from the multimodal superior temporal cortex to the visual cortex of the ventral processing stream.

scholarly journals The hierarchy of directional interactions in visual motion processing

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1655) ◽  
pp. 263-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Curran ◽  
Colin W.G Clifford ◽  
Christopher P Benton
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
The Other ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Perceptual Representation ◽  
Motion Direction ◽  
Visual Motion Processing ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
After Effect ◽  
Moving Pattern

It is well known that context influences our perception of visual motion direction. For example, spatial and temporal context manipulations can be used to induce two well-known motion illusions: direction repulsion and the direction after-effect (DAE). Both result in inaccurate perception of direction when a moving pattern is either superimposed on (direction repulsion), or presented following adaptation to (DAE), another pattern moving in a different direction. Remarkable similarities in tuning characteristics suggest that common processes underlie the two illusions. What is not clear, however, is whether the processes driving the two illusions are expressions of the same or different neural substrates. Here we report two experiments demonstrating that direction repulsion and the DAE are, in fact, expressions of different neural substrates. Our strategy was to use each of the illusions to create a distorted perceptual representation upon which the mechanisms generating the other illusion could potentially operate. We found that the processes mediating direction repulsion did indeed access the distorted perceptual representation induced by the DAE. Conversely, the DAE was unaffected by direction repulsion. Thus parallels in perceptual phenomenology do not necessarily imply common neural substrates. Our results also demonstrate that the neural processes driving the DAE occur at an earlier stage of motion processing than those underlying direction repulsion.

scholarly journals Distributed and Retinotopically Asymmetric Processing of Coherent Motion in Mouse Visual Cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin K. Sit ◽  
Michael J. Goard
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Dorsal Stream ◽  
Coherent Motion ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Calcium Indicator ◽  
Mouse Cortex ◽  
Visual Areas ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Visual Cortical

ABSTRACTPerception of visual motion is important for a range of ethological behaviors in mammals. In primates, specific higher visual cortical regions are specialized for processing of coherent visual motion. However, the distribution of motion processing among visual cortical areas in mice is unclear, despite the powerful genetic tools available for measuring population neural activity. Here, we used widefield and 2-photon calcium imaging of transgenic mice expressing a calcium indicator in excitatory neurons to measure mesoscale and cellular responses to coherent motion across the visual cortex. Imaging of primary visual cortex (V1) and several higher visual areas (HVAs) during presentation of natural movies and random dot kinematograms (RDKs) revealed heterogeneous responses to coherent motion. Although coherent motion responses were observed throughout visual cortex, particular HVAs in the putative dorsal stream (PM, AL, AM) exhibited stronger responses than ventral stream areas (LM and LI). Moreover, beyond the differences between visual areas, there was considerable heterogeneity within each visual area. Individual visual areas exhibited an asymmetry across the vertical retinotopic axis (visual elevation), such that neurons representing the inferior visual field exhibited greater responses to coherent motion. These results indicate that processing of visual motion in mouse cortex is distributed unevenly across visual areas and exhibits a spatial bias within areas, potentially to support processing of optic flow during spatial navigation.

scholarly journals The posterior cingulate cortex and planum temporale/parietal operculum are activated by coherent visual motion

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. ANTAL ◽  
J. BAUDEWIG ◽  
W. PAULUS ◽  
P. DECHENT
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Coherent Motion ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Planum Temporale ◽  
Motion Direction ◽  
Posterior Cingulate

The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) is involved in higher order sensory and sensory-motor integration while the planum temporale/parietal operculum (PT/PO) junction takes part in auditory motion and vestibular processing. Both regions are activated during different types of visual stimulation. Here, we describe the response characteristics of the PCC and PT/PO to basic types of visual motion stimuli of different complexity (complex and simple coherent as well as incoherent motion). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in 10 healthy subjects at 3 Tesla, whereby different moving dot stimuli (vertical, horizontal, rotational, radial, and random) were contrasted against a static dot pattern. All motion stimuli activated a distributed cortical network, including previously described motion-sensitive striate and extrastriate visual areas. Bilateral activations in the dorsal region of the PCC (dPCC) were evoked using coherent motion stimuli, irrespective of motion direction (vertical, horizontal, rotational, radial) with increasing activity and with higher complexity of the stimulus. In contrast, the PT/PO responded equally well to all of the different coherent motion types. Incoherent (random) motion yielded significantly less activation both in the dPCC and in the PT/PO area. These results suggest that the dPCC and the PT/PO take part in the processing of basic types of visual motion. However, in dPCC a possible effect of attentional modulation resulting in the higher activity evoked by the complex stimuli should also be considered. Further studies are warranted to incorporate these regions into the current model of the cortical motion processing network.

scholarly journals USING TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS) TO PROBE EFFECTS OF VISUAL MOTION ADAPTATION ON PRIMARY VISUAL CORTEX (V1) EXCITABILITY IN BILATERAL VESTIBULAR FAILURE (BVF) PATIENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. e4.70-e4
Author(s):  
Hena Ahmad ◽  
Richard Roberts ◽  
Qadeer Arshad Arshad ◽  
Mitesh Patel ◽  
Adolfo Bronstein
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Cortical Plasticity ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Motion Adaptation ◽  
Visual Motion Perception ◽  
Ocular Reflex ◽  
Visual Motion Processing ◽  
Vestibulo Ocular Reflex ◽  
Visual Cortical

Background and aimPatients with BVF report oscillopsia due to a defective vestibulo-ocular reflex causing retinal slip. No previous studies have probed visual cortical excitability using TMS and visual motion processing in these patients. We investigated the effects of visual motion adaptation on V1 cortical excitability in BVF patients and correlated this with psychophysical parameters.Methods12 BVF patients (7 males) aged 29–65 (mean=54.5) and 12 controls (6 males) aged 42–73 (mean=55) were recruited. Biphasic TMS pulses were applied at V1 and phosphene threshold (PT) was estimated. 3 measurement phases were (1) Stationary (2) Motion with optokinetic stimulation (OKS) Adaptation: OKS rightwards for 5 minutes 3) Post adaptation during viewing motion. All subjects completed questionnaires prior to the experiment. Results were analysed offline by calculating the probability of phosphene perception.ResultsBaseline phosphene thresholds were significantly higher in BVF patients (p=0.024) reflecting reduced visual cortical excitability. Lower oscillopsia scores correlated with reduced baseline V1 excitability (p=0.009).ConclusionsThis novel finding acts as a neurophysiological correlate for clinical observations of adaptive visual motion perception and is also correlated with psychophysical parameters. These results provide evidence for adaptive mechanisms leading to cortical plasticity following BVF.

Phosphene perceptions and safety of chronic visual cortex stimulation in a blind subject

2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (6) ◽  
pp. 2000-2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soroush Niketeghad ◽  
Abirami Muralidharan ◽  
Uday Patel ◽  
Jessy D. Dorn ◽  
Laura Bonelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Population ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Stimulation Parameters ◽  
The Right ◽  
Visual Cortical ◽  
Stimulation Of

Stimulation of primary visual cortices has the potential to restore some degree of vision to blind individuals. Developing safe and reliable visual cortical prostheses requires assessment of the long-term stability, feasibility, and safety of generating stimulation-evoked perceptions.A NeuroPace responsive neurostimulation system was implanted in a blind individual with an 8-year history of bare light perception, and stimulation-evoked phosphenes were evaluated over 19 months (41 test sessions). Electrical stimulation was delivered via two four-contact subdural electrode strips implanted over the right medial occipital cortex. Current and charge thresholds for eliciting visual perception (phosphenes) were measured, as were the shape, size, location, and intensity of the phosphenes. Adverse events were also assessed.Stimulation of all contacts resulted in phosphene perception. Phosphenes appeared completely or partially in the left hemifield. Stimulation of the electrodes below the calcarine sulcus elicited phosphenes in the superior hemifield and vice versa. Changing the stimulation parameters of frequency, pulse width, and burst duration affected current thresholds for eliciting phosphenes, and increasing the amplitude or frequency of stimulation resulted in brighter perceptions. While stimulation thresholds decreased between an average of 5% and 12% after 19 months, spatial mapping of phosphenes remained consistent over time. Although no serious adverse events were observed, the subject experienced mild headaches and dizziness in three instances, symptoms that did not persist for more than a few hours and for which no clinical intervention was required.Using an off-the-shelf neurostimulator, the authors were able to reliably generate phosphenes in different areas of the visual field over 19 months with no serious adverse events, providing preliminary proof of feasibility and safety to proceed with visual epicortical prosthetic clinical trials. Moreover, they systematically explored the relationship between stimulation parameters and phosphene thresholds and discovered the direct relation of perception thresholds based on primary visual cortex (V1) neuronal population excitation thresholds.

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