Psychophysical and computational study on feature integration and stimulus context dependence in the perception of object attributes.

我们研究了视觉皮层如何整合提取的特征来感知对象属性。在本研究中，我们基于心理物理学的发现和详细的生理学知识，提出了一个整合了这些特征的大脑皮层结构的计算模型。该计算模型包括V1和V2区域的上下文依赖，包括(1)线方向的提取、(2)通过周围抑制和促进实现的上下文依赖、(3)边界所有权方向的确定。我们定量地检验了该模型是否再现了与生理和心理物理发现非常相似的对轮廓和表面的感知。该模型包括对V1神经元的上下文调制，模拟结果与一些倾斜错觉一致。V2模型表明，从V1神经元提取的对比信息能够确定图形的方向，而不需要检测T形连接和角点。所提出的模型在轮廓感知和图形方向上表现出一致和稳健的反应，并再现了生理和心理物理的主要特征。

We investigated how the visual cortex integrates extracted features to perceive the object attribute. In the present study, we proposed a computational model of the cortical architecture that integrated the features, based on psychophysical findings and detailed physiological knowledge. Specifically, we proposed the hypothesis that the extracted features within each stage of cortical processes are integrated based on the contextual dependency of the stage.The computational model includes the contextual dependency of V1 and V2 regions, which consists of (1)extraction of line orientation, (2)contextual dependency realized by surrounding suppression and facilitation, and (3)determination of the direction of border ownership. We examined quantitatively whether this model reproduced the perception of contours and surfaces with close resemblance to physiological and psychophysical findings.The model that include contextual modulation of V1 neurons showed the simulation results consistent with a number of tilt illusions. The model of V2 showed that contrast information extracted from V1 neurons were capable of determining the direction of figure without the detection of T-junctions and corners. The proposed model showed consistent and robust responses that are apparent in the perception of contour and the direction of figure, and reproduced major characteristics of physiology and psychophysics.