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Nonretinotopic visual processing in the brain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2015

DAVID MELCHER*
Affiliation:
Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
MARIA CONCETTA MORRONE
Affiliation:
Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Italy Scientific Institute Stella Maris (IRCSS), Pisa, Italy
*
*Address correspondence to: Prof. David Melcher, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Italy. E-mail: david.melcher@unitn.it

Abstract

A basic principle in visual neuroscience is the retinotopic organization of neural receptive fields. Here, we review behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging evidence for nonretinotopic processing of visual stimuli. A number of behavioral studies have shown perception depending on object or external-space coordinate systems, in addition to retinal coordinates. Both single-cell neurophysiology and neuroimaging have provided evidence for the modulation of neural firing by gaze position and processing of visual information based on craniotopic or spatiotopic coordinates. Transient remapping of the spatial and temporal properties of neurons contingent on saccadic eye movements has been demonstrated in visual cortex, as well as frontal and parietal areas involved in saliency/priority maps, and is a good candidate to mediate some of the spatial invariance demonstrated by perception. Recent studies suggest that spatiotopic selectivity depends on a low spatial resolution system of maps that operates over a longer time frame than retinotopic processing and is strongly modulated by high-level cognitive factors such as attention. The interaction of an initial and rapid retinotopic processing stage, tied to new fixations, and a longer lasting but less precise nonretinotopic level of visual representation could underlie the perception of both a detailed and a stable visual world across saccadic eye movements.

Information

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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