Prefrontal Cortex Tunes Category Selectivity in Visual Association Cortex
Prefrontal Cortex Tunes Category Selectivity in Visual Association Cortex
Miller, Brian T.; Fegen, Drew; Vytlacil, Jason; Pradhan, Suraj; D'Esposito, Mark
2010-10-01 00:00:00
Different categories of visual objects evoke distinct bottom–up sensory responses in visual association cortex. Although numerous lines of evidence suggest this category selectivity, the degree to which the tuning of these assemblies can be altered by top–down influences remains uncertain. In this study, we investigate the causal role of prefrontal cortex in the tuning of bottom–up perceptual responses of face and scene stimuli. We employed two experimental approaches to disrupt prefrontal cortical function—focal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in normal controls (Experiment 1) and prefrontal cortex lesions in stroke patients (Experiment 2). Following these perturbations to normal prefrontal cortex function, bottom–up responses in visual association cortex exhibited less distinct category selectivity. These two experiments provide convergent evidence highlighting a direct role of prefrontal cortex in the top–down modulation of bottom–up visual signals.
http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.pngJournal of Cognitive NeuroscienceMIT Presshttp://www.deepdyve.com/lp/mit-press/prefrontal-cortex-tunes-category-selectivity-in-visual-association-4NxglzjnpE
Prefrontal Cortex Tunes Category Selectivity in Visual Association Cortex
Different categories of visual objects evoke distinct bottom–up sensory responses in visual association cortex. Although numerous lines of evidence suggest this category selectivity, the degree to which the tuning of these assemblies can be altered by top–down influences remains uncertain. In this study, we investigate the causal role of prefrontal cortex in the tuning of bottom–up perceptual responses of face and scene stimuli. We employed two experimental approaches to disrupt prefrontal cortical function—focal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in normal controls (Experiment 1) and prefrontal cortex lesions in stroke patients (Experiment 2). Following these perturbations to normal prefrontal cortex function, bottom–up responses in visual association cortex exhibited less distinct category selectivity. These two experiments provide convergent evidence highlighting a direct role of prefrontal cortex in the top–down modulation of bottom–up visual signals.
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