Document Detail


Neural integration of information specifying human structure from form, motion, and depth.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20089892     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Recent computational models of biological motion perception operate on ambiguous two-dimensional representations of the body (e.g., snapshots, posture templates) and contain no explicit means for disambiguating the three-dimensional orientation of a perceived human figure. Are there neural mechanisms in the visual system that represent a moving human figure's orientation in three dimensions? To isolate and characterize the neural mechanisms mediating perception of biological motion, we used an adaptation paradigm together with bistable point-light (PL) animations whose perceived direction of heading fluctuates over time. After exposure to a PL walker with a particular stereoscopically defined heading direction, observers experienced a consistent aftereffect: a bistable PL walker, which could be perceived in the adapted orientation or reversed in depth, was perceived predominantly reversed in depth. A phase-scrambled adaptor produced no aftereffect, yet when adapting and test walkers differed in size or appeared on opposite sides of fixation aftereffects did occur. Thus, this heading direction aftereffect cannot be explained by local, disparity-specific motion adaptation, and the properties of scale and position invariance imply higher-level origins of neural adaptation. Nor is disparity essential for producing adaptation: when suspended on top of a stereoscopically defined, rotating globe, a context-disambiguated "globetrotter" was sufficient to bias the bistable walker's direction, as were full-body adaptors. In sum, these results imply that the neural signals supporting biomotion perception integrate information on the form, motion, and three-dimensional depth orientation of the moving human figure. Models of biomotion perception should incorporate mechanisms to disambiguate depth ambiguities in two-dimensional body representations.
Authors:
Stuart Jackson; Randolph Blake
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience     Volume:  30     ISSN:  1529-2401     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Neurosci.     Publication Date:  2010 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-01-21     Completed Date:  2010-02-05     Revised Date:  2010-09-27    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8102140     Medline TA:  J Neurosci     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  838-48     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Physiological / physiology
Bias (Epidemiology)
Contrast Sensitivity
Depth Perception / physiology*
Female
Figural Aftereffect / physiology
Form Perception / physiology*
Humans
Male
Motion Perception / physiology*
Orientation / physiology
Photic Stimulation / methods
Psychophysics / methods
Transfer (Psychology) / physiology*
Vision Disparity
Walking
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
EY13358/EY/NEI NIH HHS; P30 EY008126-109004/EY/NEI NIH HHS; R01 EY013358-08/EY/NEI NIH HHS
Comments/Corrections

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