FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF EXTRASTRIATE VISUAL CORTEX

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA

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Abstract

A program of research is proposed to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) to analyze how visual information is organized and processed in human visual cortex. Using methods that have either been developed or refined by this group, nine visual cortical areas of interest will be identified in each subject using fMRI and displayed on a flatted cortical format. Four aims will be pursued. First, how and where visual contours defined by different types of visual cues (luminance, hue, motion, etc.) are processed in visual cortex will be investigated. Second, changes in fMRI responses in response to large-field changes in luminance, color, and spatial frequency will be measured. Third, specific questions about visual motion processing will be addressed. Fourth, orientation sensitivity in different visual areas will be assessed by examining transient responses to changes in orientation.