Understanding the Role of the Parietal Cortex in Visual Object Grouping and Feature Binding

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

In everyday life, perceivers are confronted with continuous and overwhelming influxes of visual information from the environment. To extract the most relevant visual information to guide behavior and thought, a visual system is faced with two challenges. One challenge is to select discrete units of visual information from competing inputs from the environment (e.g., detecting an approaching vehicle on the road). A second challenge is to integrate visual information initially processed in separate visual areas (such as color, shape and motion) to achieve a single coherent visual percept (e.g., a red moving car on the left). Although vision research has primarily focused on feature processing in visual cortex, brain lesion and brain imaging studies indicate that the parietal cortex plays an essential, but at present largely mysterious role in visual information selection and integration. With support of the National Science Foundation, Drs. Yaoda Xu and Marvin Chun at Yale University will use a brain imaging technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging, to study visual processing in the parietal cortex of healthy human observers. This work will provide with a broad understanding of the role of the parietal cortex in visual perception. Because parietal cortex is often damaged by stroke, causing deficits in visual information selection and integration, the outcome of this research may provide clues to aid patient rehabilitation after parietal lesions. The research may also provide significant insights to computer vision and the design of sophisticated artificial visual systems. Finally, the project will provide research experience for both graduate and undergraduate students.