Perceptual Experience of Visual Motion Activates hMT+ Independently From the Physical Reality: fMRI Insights From the Looming Pinna Figure. (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Budnik, U.; Hindi-Attar, C.; Hamburger, K.; Pinna, B.; Hennig, J.; Speck, O.
• Is Part Of: Perception. Volume 45:Number 11(2016)
• Page Start: 1211
• Page End: 1221
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: equalized perceptual strength -- nulling procedure -- subjective illusory rotation -- real rotation -- radial 2D figure -- double-circular figure -- luminance gradients -- Pinna-Figure (PF) -- Pinna Illusion (PI) -- looming -- 3D -- motion parameter -- motion interpolation -- hMT+ -- functional brain imaging -- fMRI 3T; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception; Periodicals; 153.705
• DOI: 10.1177/0301006616652051
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-0066

Abstract

The human motion processing area, hMT+, has been labeled the critical neural area for processing of real and illusory visual motion in radial 2D patterns. However, the activation in hMT+ during perception of illusory rotation in the looming double-circular Pinna Figure (PF) generated in 3D space has not been observed yet. To do so, an optic-flow like motion of rings (looming) in PF was generated on a computer screen. A psychophysically precise nulling procedure allowed quantifying the individual amount of the perceived illusory rotation in PF (PI) for each participant. The interpolation of the individual illusory motion parameters created a subjectively non-rotating PF and a physically rotating control stimulus of identical rotary strength as the PI. The physically rotating control was a double-circular figure which diverged from PF only in its arrangement of luminance gradients. In a 3-Tesla scanner, participants were presented with a random order of rotating and non-rotating figures (illusory, real, no rotation, and nulled PI). Both types, illusory and real rotation, when equal in perceptual strength for the observer, were found to be processed by hMT+.