Document Detail


Temporal filtering enhances direction discrimination in random-dot patterns.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  7667923     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In conventional presentations of random-dot kinematograms, two frames of random dots are presented in temporal sequence, separated by a blank inter-stimulus interval, and a coherent offset in spatial position is added to dots in one frame relative to dots in the other frame. Direction discrimination performance is limited temporally to inter-stimulus intervals below about 100 msec (Tmax). Experiments are described in which temporal smoothing was applied to the onset and offset of each frame in the kinematogram. Tmax was found to increase in proportion with the time constant of the temporal smoothing function. An explanation based on contrast-dependent responses in simple motion detectors cannot accommodate the results. Instead, the increase in Tmax with temporal smoothing, and analogous increase in spatial limit (Dmax) with spatial blurring, can be related to the spatiotemporal frequency content of the stimulus. Random-dot kinematograms can be viewed as continuously drifting patterns that have been discretely sampled at regular spatiotemporal intervals. Sampling introduces artefacts (alias signals), which become more intrusive as sampling rate declines (i.e. inter-stimulus interval or spatial displacement increases) and consequently limit discrimination performance. Temporal smoothing or spatial blurring extends performance because it removes alias signals generated by high spatiotemporal frequencies in the pattern. Computational modelling to estimate the Fourier energy available in random-dot kinematograms confirmed that the sampling account can predict the proportional increase in Tmax and Dmax limits as filter time or space constant increases.
Authors:
G Mather; H Tunley
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Vision research     Volume:  35     ISSN:  0042-6989     ISO Abbreviation:  Vision Res.     Publication Date:  1995 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1995-10-10     Completed Date:  1995-10-10     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0417402     Medline TA:  Vision Res     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2105-16     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
University of Sussex, Brighton, England.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Contrast Sensitivity / physiology
Discrimination (Psychology) / physiology
Female
Humans
Male
Models, Neurological
Motion Perception / physiology
Optical Illusions / physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology*
Psychophysics
Time Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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