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Object-based attention in the primary visual cortex of the macaque monkey

Author

Listed:
  • Pieter R. Roelfsema

    (Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Laboratory of Medical Physics, and the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute (KNAW), Academic Medical Center (UvA))

  • Victor A. F. Lamme

    (Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Laboratory of Medical Physics, and the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute (KNAW), Academic Medical Center (UvA))

  • Henk Spekreijse

    (Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Laboratory of Medical Physics, and the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute (KNAW), Academic Medical Center (UvA))

Abstract

Typical natural visual scenes contain many objects, which need to be segregated from each other and from the background. Present theories subdivide the processes responsible for this segregation into a pre-attentive and attentive system1,2. The pre-attentive system segregates image regions that ‘pop out’ rapidly and in parallel across the visual field. In the primary visual cortex, responses to pre-attentively selected image regions are enhanced3,4,5. When objects do not segregate automatically from the rest of the image, the time-consuming attentive system is recruited. Here we investigate whether attentive selection is also associated with a modulation of firing rates in area V1 of the brainin monkeys trained to perform a curve-tracing task6,7. Neuronal responses to the various segments of a target curve were simultaneously enhanced relative to responses evoked by a distractor curve, even if the two curves crossed each other. This indicates that object-based attention is associated with a response enhancement at the earliest level of the visual cortical processing hierarchy.

Suggested Citation

  • Pieter R. Roelfsema & Victor A. F. Lamme & Henk Spekreijse, 1998. "Object-based attention in the primary visual cortex of the macaque monkey," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6700), pages 376-381, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:395:y:1998:i:6700:d:10.1038_26475
    DOI: 10.1038/26475
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    Cited by:

    1. Fengpei Hu & Changyong Jiao & Songpo Zhao & Huahua Dong & Xiao Liu & Yuji Yi & Jun Wang, 2015. "The Effects of Attention Pre-Allocation and Target-Background Integration on Object-Based Attention," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    2. Thomas Miconi & Rufin VanRullen, 2016. "A Feedback Model of Attention Explains the Diverse Effects of Attention on Neural Firing Rates and Receptive Field Structure," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Jacob A. Westerberg & Jeffrey D. Schall & Geoffrey F. Woodman & Alexander Maier, 2023. "Feedforward attentional selection in sensory cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.

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