Spatial attention modulates center-surround interactions in macaque visual area v4.

ABSTRACT: In natural viewing, a visual stimulus that is the target of attention is generally surrounded by many irrelevant distracters. Stimuli falling in the receptive field surround can influence the neuronal response evoked by a stimulus appearing within the classical receptive field. Such modulation by task-irrelevant distracters may degrade the target-related neuronal signal. We therefore examined whether directing attention to a target stimulus can reduce the influence of task-irrelevant distracters on neuronal response. We find that in area V4 attention to a stimulus within a neuron's receptive field filters out a large fraction of the suppression induced by distracters appearing in the surround. When attention is instead directed to the surround stimulus, suppression is increased, thereby fi

SUBMITTER: Sundberg KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3117898 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature