A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences

Previous work demonstrated that perceived surface reflectance (lightness) can be modeled in simple contexts in a quantitatively exact way by assuming that the visual system first extracts information about local, directed steps in log luminance, then spatial integrates these steps along paths throug...

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Main Author: Michael E Rudd
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00640/full
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author Michael E Rudd
Michael E Rudd
author_facet Michael E Rudd
Michael E Rudd
author_sort Michael E Rudd
collection DOAJ
description Previous work demonstrated that perceived surface reflectance (lightness) can be modeled in simple contexts in a quantitatively exact way by assuming that the visual system first extracts information about local, directed steps in log luminance, then spatial integrates these steps along paths through the image to compute lightness (Rudd & Zemach, 2004, 2005, 2007). This method of computing lightness is called edge integration. Recent evidence (Rudd, 2013) suggests that the human vision employs a default strategy to integrate luminance steps only along paths from a common background region to the targets whose lightness is computed. This implies a role for gestalt grouping in edge-based lightness computation. Rudd (2010) further showed the perceptual weights applied to edges in lightness computation can be influenced by the observer’s interpretation of luminance steps as resulting from either spatial variation in surface reflectance or illumination. This implies a role for top-down factors in any edge-based model of lightness (Rudd & Zemach, 2005). Here, I show how the separate influences of grouping and attention on lightness can be together modeled by a cortical mechanism that first employs top-down signals to spatially select regions of interest for lightness computation. An object-based network computation, involving neurons that code for border-ownership, then automatically sets the neural gains applied to edge signals surviving the earlier spatial selection stage. Only the borders that survive both processing stages are spatially integrated to compute lightness. The model assumptions are consistent with those of the cortical lightness model presented earlier by Rudd (2010, 2013), and with neurophysiological data indicating extraction of local edge information in V1, network computations to establish figure-ground relations and border ownership in V2, and edge integration to encode lightness and darkness signals in V4.
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spelling doaj.art-86ec3c235e4c4011a035e77f9f2f093c2022-12-21T23:18:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612014-08-01810.3389/fnhum.2014.0064097928A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual DifferencesMichael E Rudd0Michael E Rudd1Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversity of Washington School of MedicinePrevious work demonstrated that perceived surface reflectance (lightness) can be modeled in simple contexts in a quantitatively exact way by assuming that the visual system first extracts information about local, directed steps in log luminance, then spatial integrates these steps along paths through the image to compute lightness (Rudd & Zemach, 2004, 2005, 2007). This method of computing lightness is called edge integration. Recent evidence (Rudd, 2013) suggests that the human vision employs a default strategy to integrate luminance steps only along paths from a common background region to the targets whose lightness is computed. This implies a role for gestalt grouping in edge-based lightness computation. Rudd (2010) further showed the perceptual weights applied to edges in lightness computation can be influenced by the observer’s interpretation of luminance steps as resulting from either spatial variation in surface reflectance or illumination. This implies a role for top-down factors in any edge-based model of lightness (Rudd & Zemach, 2005). Here, I show how the separate influences of grouping and attention on lightness can be together modeled by a cortical mechanism that first employs top-down signals to spatially select regions of interest for lightness computation. An object-based network computation, involving neurons that code for border-ownership, then automatically sets the neural gains applied to edge signals surviving the earlier spatial selection stage. Only the borders that survive both processing stages are spatially integrated to compute lightness. The model assumptions are consistent with those of the cortical lightness model presented earlier by Rudd (2010, 2013), and with neurophysiological data indicating extraction of local edge information in V1, network computations to establish figure-ground relations and border ownership in V2, and edge integration to encode lightness and darkness signals in V4.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00640/fullneural computationlightnessbrightnessventral streamachromatic color
spellingShingle Michael E Rudd
Michael E Rudd
A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
neural computation
lightness
brightness
ventral stream
achromatic color
title A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
title_full A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
title_fullStr A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
title_full_unstemmed A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
title_short A Cortical Edge-integration Model of Object-Based Lightness Computation that Explains Effects of Spatial Context and Individual Differences
title_sort cortical edge integration model of object based lightness computation that explains effects of spatial context and individual differences
topic neural computation
lightness
brightness
ventral stream
achromatic color
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00640/full
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