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Visual perceptual echo reflects learning of regularities in rapid luminance sequences

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 07:00 authored by Acer Y-C Chang, David SchwartzmanDavid Schwartzman, Rufin VanRullen, Ryota Kanai, Anil SethAnil Seth
A novel neural signature of active visual processing has recently been described in the form of the ‘perceptual echo’, in which the cross-correlation between a sequence of randomly fluctuating luminance values and occipital electrophysiological (EEG) signals exhibits a long-lasting periodic (~100ms cycle) reverberation of the input stimulus (VanRullen & Macdonald, 2012). As yet, however, the mechanisms underlying the perceptual echo and its function remain unknown. Reasoning that natural visual signals often contain temporally predictable, though non-periodic features, we hypothesized that the perceptual echo may reflect a periodic process associated with regularity learning. To test this hypothesis, we presented subjects with successive repetitions of a rapid non-periodic luminance sequence, and examined the effects on the perceptual echo, finding that echo amplitude linearly increased with the number of presentations of a given luminance sequence. These data suggest that the perceptual echo reflects a neural signature of regularity learning. Furthermore, when a set of repeated sequences was followed by a sequence with inverted luminance polarities, the echo amplitude decreased to the same level evoked by a novel stimulus sequence. Crucially, when the original stimulus sequence was re-presented, the echo amplitude returned to a level consistent with the number of presentations of this sequence, indicating that the visual system retained sequence specific information, for many seconds, even in the presence of intervening visual input. Altogether, our results reveal a previously undiscovered regularity learning mechanism within the human visual system, reflected by the perceptual echo.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Journal of Neuroscience

ISSN

0270-6474

Publisher

Society for Neuroscience

Issue

35

Volume

37

Page range

8486-8497

Department affiliated with

  • Informatics Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-07-05

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-03-01

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-07-05

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