A Neurocomputational account of the role of contour facilitation in brightness perception.

ABSTRACT: A new filling-in model is proposed in order to account for challenging brightness illusions, where inducing background elements are spatially separated from the gray target such as dungeon, cube and grating illusions, bullseye display and ring patterns. This model implements the simple idea that neural response to low-contrast contour is enhanced (facilitated) by the presence of collinear or parallel high-contrast contours in its wider neighborhood. Contour facilitation is achieved via dendritic inhibition, which enables the computation of maximum function among inputs to the node. Recurrent application of maximum function leads to the propagation of the neural signal along collinear or parallel contour segments. When a strong global-contour signal is accompanied with a weak local-contour

SUBMITTER: Domijan D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4333805 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature