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视觉系统如何表示表面特性的理解。特别是，该项目旨在加深我们对感知恒定性的理解，即物体和表面在不断变化的环境中保持其外观的方式。这类研究福尔斯属于NEI所宣称的理解视觉功能的使命。 该提案的第一个目的是研究在理解场景如何影响表面亮度感知方面非常重要的视觉线索。特别是，该目标将使用心理物理学方法来研究视觉系统用于折扣阴影，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研究结果的基础上;它将寻求识别人类视觉皮层中的区域，这些区域对阴影和亮度的解释发生变化，影响感知的表面亮度。第三个目标将检查现场解释的表面和对象的大小表示的影响。在这个目标中，我们将研究如何感知深度影响感知物体的大小，以及大小恒常性机制是如何在视觉皮层中表示的。 与公共卫生的相关性在包括精神分裂症和自闭症等精神疾病在内的各种残疾中，视觉处理的基本机制都受到损害。在许多情况下发现的一种损害是上下文对视觉处理的异常影响。了解正常视觉系统如何处理信息并考虑上下文信息可能会指导这些条件的早期诊断测试的开发。

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.