Visual adaptation stronger at the horizontal than the vertical meridian: Linking performance with V1 cortical surface area

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lee, Hsing- Hao; Carrasco, Marisa
• 署名单位: New York University; New York University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-9409
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2507810122
• 发表日期: 2025-07-22
• 关键词: transient covert attention; contrast adaptation; spatial-frequency; striate cortex; retinal eccentricity; sustained attention; macaque monkey; tilt illusion; orientation; field

摘要

Visual adaptation reduces bioenergetic expenditure by decreasing sensitivity to repetitive and similar stimuli. In human adults, visual performance varies systematically around the polar angle for many visual dimensions and tasks: Performance is superior along the horizontal than the vertical meridian (horizontal-vertical anisotropy, HVA) and the lower than upper vertical meridian (vertical meridian asymmetry, VMA). These asymmetries are resistant to spatial and temporal attention. However, it remains unknown whether visual adaptation differs around the polar angle. Here, we investigated how adaptation influences contrast sensitivity at the fovea and perifovea across the four cardinal meridian locations for both horizontal and vertical stimuli in an orientation discrimination task. In the nonadapted conditions, the HVA was more pronounced for horizontal than vertical stimuli. For both orientations, adaptation was stronger along the horizontal than the vertical meridian, exceeding foveal adaptation. Additionally, perifoveal adaptation effects positively correlated with individual V1 cortical surface area. These findings reveal that visual adaptation mitigates the HVA in contrast sensitivity, fostering perceptual uniformity around the visual field while conserving bioenergetic resources.