| |
Abstract:
We used event-related fMRI to pinpoint the functional anatomy
related to the change of conscious visual perception obtained with
"single image random dots stereograms". This stimulus is perceived
as a 2D image until the occurrance of a 3D pop-out effect. Image
processing and statistical inference were obtained using SPM 97. In
9 subjects the pop-out effect produced a significant bilateral
activation in the superior parietal cortex, superior occipital and
fusiform gyri, the inferior temporal gyrus and the prefrontal
cortex. The increase in activation in the extrastriate occipital
cortices may be related to higher order representation of the
visual scene1. The activation of a fronto-parietal network has been
reported as a result of perceptual transitions evoked by binocular
rivalry and processing of ambiguous figures2,3. We conclude that
visual conscious perception emerges as a functional interaction
between higher order associative cortices. 1 Van Essen and Gallant,
Neuron 13,1 (1994) 2 Lumer et al., Science 280, 1930 (1998) 3
Kleinschmidt et al., Proc. R. Soc. London, in press (1998)
|
