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Zeng T, Zhao Y, Cao B, Jia J. Perception of visual variance is mediated by subcortical mechanisms. Brain Cogn 2024; 175:106131. [PMID: 38219416 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Variance characterizes the structure of the environment. This statistical concept plays a critical role in evaluating the reliability of evidence for human decision-making. The present study examined the involvement of subcortical structures in the processing of visual variance. To this end, we used a stereoscope to sequentially present two circle arrays in a dichoptic or monocular fashion while participants compared the perceived variance of the two arrays. In Experiment 1, two arrays were presented monocularly to the same eye, dichopticly to different eyes, or binocularly to both eyes. The variance judgment was less accurate in different-eye condition than the other conditions. In Experiment 2, the first circle array was split into a large-variance and a small-variance set, with either the large-variance or small-variance set preceding the presentation of the second circle array in the same eye. The variance of the first array was judged larger when the second array was preceded by the large-variance set in the same eye, showing that the perception of variance was modulated by the visual variance processed in the same eye. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for monocular processing of visual variance, suggesting that subcortical structures capture the statistical structure of the visual world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zeng
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China; School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, Jiangxi, China; School of Education, Nanchang Normal College of Applied Technology, Nanchang 330108, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuqing Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bihua Cao
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Jianrong Jia
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early Development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China.
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Binoy S, Montaser-Kouhsari L, Ponger P, Saban W. Remote assessment of cognition in Parkinson's disease and Cerebellar Ataxia: the MoCA test in English and Hebrew. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 17:1325215. [PMID: 38259338 PMCID: PMC10800372 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1325215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a critical need for accessible neuropsychological testing for basic research and translational studies worldwide. Traditional in-person neuropsychological studies are inherently difficult to conduct because testing requires the recruitment and participation of individuals with neurological conditions. Consequently, studies are often based on small sample sizes, are highly time-consuming, and lack diversity. To address these challenges, in the last decade, the utilization of remote testing platforms has demonstrated promising results regarding the feasibility and efficiency of collecting patient data online. Herein, we tested the validity and generalizability of remote administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. We administered the MoCA to English and Hebrew speakers from three different populations: Parkinson's disease, Cerebellar Ataxia, and healthy controls via video conferencing. First, we found that the online MoCA scores do not differ from traditional in-person studies, demonstrating convergent validity. Second, the MoCA scores of both our online patient groups were lower than controls, demonstrating construct validity. Third, we did not find differences between the two language versions of the remote MoCA, supporting its generalizability to different languages and the efficiency of collecting binational data (USA and Israel). Given these results, future studies can utilize the remote MoCA, and potentially other remote neuropsychological tests to collect data more efficiently across multiple different patient populations, language versions, and nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Binoy
- Center for Accessible Neuropsychology and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Leila Montaser-Kouhsari
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Penina Ponger
- Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - William Saban
- Center for Accessible Neuropsychology and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
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Saban W, Gabay S. Contributions of Lower Structures to Higher Cognition: Towards a Dynamic Network Model. J Intell 2023; 11:121. [PMID: 37367523 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11060121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers often attribute higher cognition to the enlargement of cortical regions throughout evolution, reflecting the belief that humans sit at the top of the cognitive pyramid. Implicitly, this approach assumes that the subcortex is of secondary importance for higher-order cognition. While it is now recognized that subcortical regions can be involved in various cognitive domains, it remains unclear how they contribute to computations essential for higher-level cognitive processes such as endogenous attention and numerical cognition. Herein, we identify three models of subcortical-cortical relations in these cognitive processes: (i) subcortical regions are not involved in higher cognition; (ii) subcortical computations support elemental forms of higher cognition mainly in species without a developed cortex; and (iii) higher cognition depends on a whole-brain dynamic network, requiring integrated cortical and subcortical computations. Based on evolutionary theories and recent data, we propose the SEED hypothesis: the Subcortex is Essential for the Early Development of higher cognition. According to the five principles of the SEED hypothesis, subcortical computations are essential for the emergence of cognitive abilities that enable organisms to adapt to an ever-changing environment. We examine the implications of the SEED hypothesis from a multidisciplinary perspective to understand how the subcortex contributes to various forms of higher cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Saban
- Center for Accessible Neuropsychology, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shai Gabay
- Department of Psychology, the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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Zhao Y, Zeng T, Wang T, Fang F, Pan Y, Jia J. Subcortical encoding of summary statistics in humans. Cognition 2023; 234:105384. [PMID: 36736077 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Statistical encoding compresses redundant information from multiple items into a single summary metric (e.g., mean). Such statistical representation has been suggested to be automatic, but at which stage it is extracted is unknown. Here, we examined the involvement of the subcortex in the processing of summary statistics. We presented an array of circles dichoptically or monocularly while matching the number of perceived circles after binocular fusion. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that interocularly suppressed, invisible circles were automatically involved in the summary statistical representation, but only when they were presented to the same eye as the visible circles. This same-eye effect was further observed for consciously processed circles in Experiment 3, in which the estimated mean size of the circles was biased toward the information transmitted by monocular channels. Together, we provide converging evidence that the processing of summary statistics, an assumed high-level cognitive process, is mediated by subcortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China; Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ting Zeng
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China; School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, Jiangxi, China
| | - Tongyu Wang
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China; Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yi Pan
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jianrong Jia
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang, China; Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China.
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Hu X, Feng B, Chen L, Luo W. Threat shapes visual context sensitivity selectively through low-spatial-frequency channels. Cognition 2023; 230:105305. [PMID: 36228380 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Threat has long been supposed to affect human cognitive processing including visual size perception. Whether such threat-related modulation effect varies as a function of spatial frequency is largely unexplored. Here we used low- or high-pass filtered threatening animal and fearful face images as primes and measured their effects on the processing of the Ebbinghaus illusion. Results showed that threatening-animal primes relative to neutral ones significantly decreased the illusion magnitude in low-spatial-frequency rather than in high-spatial-frequency ranges. However, fearful- and neutral-face primes had a comparable effect on the illusion magnitude in both spatial frequency ranges. Notably, when inhibitory transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to the left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), fearful-face primes significantly decreased the illusion magnitude in low-spatial-frequency rather than in high-spatial-frequency ranges. However, the opposite pattern of results was observed with right TPJ stimulation. The findings suggest that threat shapes basic aspects of visual perception in a spatial frequency-specific manner, possibly via magnocellular projections from both subcortical and cortical fear-processing systems to early visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhua Hu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, PR China
| | - Bengang Feng
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, PR China
| | - Lihong Chen
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, PR China.
| | - Wenbo Luo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Province, Dalian, PR China.
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Saban W, Sklar AY, Hassin RR, Gabay S. Ancient visual channels have a causal role in arithmetic calculations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22795. [PMID: 34815496 PMCID: PMC8610989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02260-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans exhibit complex arithmetic skills, often attributed to our exceptionally large neocortex. However, the past decade has provided ample evidence that the functional domain of the subcortex extends well beyond basic functions. Using a sensitive behavioral method, for the first time, we explored the contributions of lower-order visual monocular channels to symbolic arithmetic operations, addition and subtraction. The pattern of results from 4 different experiments provides converging evidence for a causal relation between mental arithmetic and primitive subcortical regions. The results have major implications for our understanding of the neuroevolutionary development of general numerical abilities–subcortical regions, which are shared across different species, are essential to complex numerical operations. In a bigger conceptual framework, these findings and others call for a shift from the modal view of the exclusive role of the neocortex in high-level cognition to a view that emphasizes the interplay between subcortical and cortical brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Saban
- Department of Psychology and the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making (IIPDM), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. .,Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Asael Y Sklar
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran R Hassin
- Department of Psychology, and the Center for the Study of Rationality, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Gabay
- Department of Psychology and the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making (IIPDM), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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Almasi RC, Behrmann M. Subcortical regions of the human visual system do not process faces holistically. Brain Cogn 2021; 151:105726. [PMID: 33933856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Face perception is considered to be evolutionarily adaptive and conserved across species. While subcortical visual brain areas are implicated in face perception based on existing evidence from phylogenetic and ontogenetic studies, whether these subcortical structures contribute to more complex visual computations such as the holistic processing (HP) of faces in humans is unknown. To address this issue, we used a well-established marker of HP, the composite face effect (CFE), with a group of adult human observers, and presented two sequential faces in a trial monocularly or interocularly using a Wheatstone stereoscope. HP refers to the finding that two identical top (or bottom) halves of a face are judged to be different when their task-irrelevant bottom (or top) halves belong to different faces. Because humans process faces holistically, they are unable to ignore the information from the irrelevant half of the composite face, and this is true to an even greater extent when the two halves of the faces are aligned compared with when they are misaligned ('Alignment effect'). The results revealed the HP effect and also uncovered the Alignment effect, a key marker of the CFE. The findings also indicated a monocular advantage, replicating the known subcortical contribution to face perception. There was, however, no statistically significant difference in the CFE when the images were presented in the monocular versus interocular conditions. These findings indicate that HP is not necessarily mediated by the subcortical visual pathway, and suggest that further investigation of cortical, rather than subcortical, structures might advance our understanding of HP and its role in face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeka C Almasi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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