The representation of surface appearance in visual cortex

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案的主要目标是增加对表面属性如何由视觉系统表示的理解。特别是，该项目寻求加深我们对感知一致性的理解，感知一致性是对象和表面在不断变化的环境中保持其外观的手段。这类研究属于NEI所宣称的了解视觉功能的使命。该提案的第一个目的是研究视觉线索，这些视觉线索对于理解场景如何影响表面亮度的感知非常重要。特别是，目标将使用心理物理学方法来研究视觉系统用来消除阴影、照明变化和透明度在恢复表面亮度方面的影响的图像特征。第二个目标将建立在第一个发现的基础上；它将寻求识别人类视觉皮质中随着对阴影和透明度的解释不同而做出反应的区域，从而影响感知到的表面亮度。第三个目标将考察场景解释对表面和物体大小表示的影响。在这个目标中，我们将研究感知深度如何影响物体的感知大小，以及大小恒定机制如何在视觉皮质中表现出来。与公共健康相关的视觉处理的基本机制在各种残疾中受到损害，包括精神分裂症和自闭症等精神疾病。在许多情况下发现的一种损伤是背景对视觉处理的异常影响。了解正常视觉系统是如何处理信息并考虑背景信息的，可能会指导早期诊断这类疾病的测试的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad goals of this proposal are to increase understanding of how surface properties are represented by the visual system. In particular, the project seeks to deepen our understanding of perceptual constancies, the means by which objects and surfaces maintain their appearance in changing contexts. This kind of research falls under the NEI's stated mission of understanding visual function. The first aim of the proposal is to study the visual cues that are important in understanding how scenes affect the perception of surface lightness. In particular, the aim will use psychophysical methods to study the image features that the visual system uses to discount the effects of shadows, illumination changes, and transparency in recovering surface lightness. The second aim will build on the findings of the first; it will seek to identify regions in human visual cortex that respond as the interpretation of shadows and transparencies vary, influencing perceived surface lightness. The third aim will examine the effects of scene interpretation on the representation of the size of surfaces and objects. In this aim, we will study how perceived depth influences the perceived size of objects, and how size constancy mechanisms are represented in visual cortex. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Basic mechanisms of visual processing are impaired in a wide range of disabilities including psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and autism. One impairment found in a number of conditions is an abnormal effect of context on visual processing. Understanding how the normal visual system processes information and takes into account contextual information may guide development of tests for early diagnosis of such conditions.