Chapter 3:

2 visual systems
Cognitive Science
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%vervie&
'(plain the signi)icance o) the *turn to the rain+ in
cognitive science
'(plain ,ish-in and !ngerleider.s hypothesis that there
are t&o distinct visual systems
%utline additional evidence and other interpretations
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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Classical CogSci and the rain
/euroscience did not )eature prominently in the early days o)
cognitive science
0 1idespread vie& that neural details are *merely
implementational+
0 2op3do&n approach 4e5g5 ,arr6
0 7unctional analysis o) cognitive ailities
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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2he turn to the rain
$5 8evelopment o) ne& technologies )or studying cognition in the
rain 4as opposed to neuroanatomy6
0 single3neuron recording
0 "'2 and ),9:
25 /eurally3inspired models o) in)ormation3processing
0 connectionism
35 2he *;: &inter+
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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2 visual systems hypothesis
%riginally proposed y ,ish-in and !ngerleider
8ra&s on oth )unctional and anatomical data
0 )unctional data derived )rom lesion studies on the rain
:llustrates a ottom3up approach to studying cognition 3 and
illustrates ho& *o(ology+ can connect up &ith the rain
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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"rimary visual path&ay
0 Contralateral organization
4relative to visual )ield6
0 "ro<ects to primary visual corte(
4a5-5a striate corte(/=$6
0 1hat happens ne(t>
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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2 visual path&ays

8orsal ? carries in)ormation

relevant to o<ect location
4the *&here+ path&ay6

=entral ? carries
in)ormation relevant to
o<ect identi)ication 4the
*&hat+ path&ay6
Cognitive Science
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2&o di))erent levels o) analysis
7unctional analysis
0 identi)ying t&o di))erent and dissociale types o)
visual in)ormation3processing
;natomical analysis
0 identi)ying t&o di))erent anatomical path&ays &ithin the
rain
Cognitive Science
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"reliminary evidence $
Schneider $@A@
0 a)ter alation o) prestriate corte( hamsters &ere
unale to learn simple pattern discriminations
0 ut remained ale to orient to&ards visual stimuli
0 alating the tectum preserved pattern discriminationB
ut aolished visual orientation
But the tectum is a su3cortical structure 4part o) the mid3rain6
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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"reliminary evidence 2
0 Brain3damaged patients ? 8amage to parietal and temporal
loes produces di))erent types o) impairment
parietal C prolems acting on and locating o<ects
e5g5 visuospatial neglect
temporal C prolems identi)ying o<ects
e5g5 agnosia
Cognitive Science
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=isuospatial neglect
0 Caused y damage to
parietal corte(
0 :naility to respond to stimuli
in contralesional )ield
0 Compatile &ith some )orms
o) processing o) neglected
in)ormation
Cognitive Science
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=isual agnosias
0 ;ssociated &ith damage to the
temporal and/or occipital loe
0 Basic )eatures o) vision are
preserved 4acuityB rightness
discriminationB color vision
etc56
0 :mpairment in copyingB dra&ing
or naming o<ects
Cognitive Science
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Deneral Euestions
Fo& do &e move )rom )unctional analysis to anatomical analysis>
0 dangerous to in)er )unction o) neural areas directly )rom
&hat happens &hen they are damaged
0 is the impairment due to the damaged area> %r to the
)act that in)ormation )ails to reach another area
Fo& do &e get a model o) an in)ormation3processing path&ay>
Cognitive Science
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Cross3lesion disconnection
e(periments 3 ac-ground
0 2he cererum is divided into t&o hemispheres
0 ,a<or cortical areas are duplicated in each hemisphere
0 Femispheres can commmunicate through the corpus
callosum in order to compensate )or damage in one
hemisphere
Cognitive Science
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Basic idea
0 9emove one o) the stations on a postulated path&ay )rom one
hemisphere
0 2he corresponding area in the other hemisphere &ill typically
compensate
0 SuseEuent transection o) the corpus callosum allo&s
e(perimenters to identi)y &hether the station lies on the path&ay
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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=entral lessions
0 crossed striate and in)erior
temporal lesions
0 path&ays preserved via corpus
callosum
0 ut per)ormance on pattern
discrimination tas-s aolished
y transection o) corpus
callosum
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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8orsal lesion study
Cognitive Science
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2&o versions o) the hypothesis

,ish-in and !ngerleider:

8orsal C location 4*1here>+
=entral C identi)ication 4*1hat>+6

,ilner and Doodale

8orsal C vision )or action
=entral C vision )or identi)ication
Cognitive Science
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'vidence )rom mon-eys
Bilateral temporal loe lesions result in severe impairments o)
recognitionB ut asic visuomotor s-ills are preserved
0 o<ect avoidance
0 <udging distances &hen <umping
'lectrophysiological studies revealed neurons in parietal
corte( sensitive to di))erent types o) reaching movement
? neuronal enhancement
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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'vidence )rom rain3damaged
patients

8oule dissociation et&een visual recognition and

visuomotor control

Balint.s syndrome ? visuomotor de)icit 4optic

ata(ia6 &ith recognitional impairment

=isual )orm agnosia 3 impaired recognition &ith

preserved visuomotor s-ills
Cognitive Science
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=isual )orm agnosia 4876

0 8amage to ventral stream
0 "reserved aility to calirate grip size
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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Contrast &ith optic ata(ia
0 %ptic ata(ia C de)icit in reaching
not e(plicale y motorB
somatosensory or visual )ield
de)icits
0 Drasp lines 4i5e5 &here thum and
inde( )inger ma-e contact &ith
shape
0 /o signi)icant di))erence et&een
87 and control
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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'vidence )rom normal su<ects
0 'inhaus illusion is very
roust )or normal su<ects
0 But i) as-ed to reach su<ects
typically ma-e an accurate3
sized grasp response
0 8issociation et&een action
and conscious visual
a&areness>
Cognitive Science
Jos Luis Bermdez / Camridge
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:mportant points
0 9eveals interdisciplinary nature o) cognitive science
0 lesion e(periments on mon-eys
0 single neuron neurophysiology
0 cognitive psychology e(periments on rain3 damaged and normal
su<ects
0 9eveals a asic challenge in cognitive science ? integrating )unctional
analysis and anatomical analysis
0 Sho&s that this integration need not e top3do&n