Neural Mechanisms for Visual Processes

    Earlier in the semester we had Dr. Baker from the Department of Psychology here at Loyola Chicago presenting his research paper, “Constant Curvature Segments as Building Blocks of 2D Shape Representation.” Dr. Baker was a cool and engaging presenter, and you could tell he really was passionate about the research he was doing. He first went through a simple example explaining how we generalize spatially in vision using a stick figure for reference. He explained that we all know that the left line on a stick figure is the right arm even though it looks virtually nothing like a human arm. Dr. Baker’s research was focused on the neural mechanisms underlying how we generalize 2D shape representations. Dr. Baker did so by completing 3 experiments theorizing at a neural level we focus on curvatures to identify and process 2D shapes. Dr. Baker found that curvatures could be theorized to be fundamental building blocks for understanding 2D shapes in the visual system. I found the research on neural underpinnings of the visual system to be very interesting and it reminded me of something from another neuroscience class that involved the visual system.

    For my cognitive and behavioral neuroscience class(PSYC 382) we had an assignment where we had to pick a visual art piece and explain the neural pathways involved with processing that art piece. The art piece that I had piece I picked was an optical illusion called the “Pinna-Brelstaff” illusion, named after the two scientists who discovered/created the illusion. The illusion entails a small blue cross in the middle of the screen with two large rings constantly shrinking and growing. When you stare at the blue cross in the middle of the image you will see the two rings look like they are spinning while they constantly shrink and grow. In reality, the rings are not rotating at all while they zoom in and out of one another. The research article of this illusion found that the phenomena occurred because of subgroups of medial superior temporal neurons that process both real and illusory complex-flow motion(rotation, contraction, expansion) and due to a 15 ms delay you see an illusion of rotating because the medial superior temporal neurons have not discriminated that those parts of the image are not actually moving yet. In connection to Dr. Baker’s research, I wonder if it is possible that when there are optical illusions involving irregular shaped 2D images that there is a delay in neural processing of the curvatures of the shapes, which creates an optical illusion and explains why it takes a second for you to really process what is going on in the image. I think both approaches of research are very interesting ways to learn more about the very complex visual system we have. 

Reference

1. Luo Junxiang, He Keyan, Andolina Ian Max, Li Xiaohong, Yin Jiapeng, Chen Zheyuan, Gu Yong, Wang Wei, Going with the Flow: The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Illusions of Complex-Flow Motion, The Journal of Neuroscience, April 2019, ISSN 2664-2685, https://10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2112-18.2019