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Dynamics of travelling waves in visual perception

Nature volume 412, pages 907–910 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Nonlinear wave propagation is ubiquitous in nature, appearing in chemical reaction kinetics1, cardiac tissue dynamics1,2, cortical spreading depression3 and slow wave sleep4. The application of dynamical modelling has provided valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying such nonlinear wave phenomena in several domains1,2,5,6. Wave propagation can also be perceived as sweeping waves of visibility that occur when the two eyes view radically different stimuli. Termed binocular rivalry, these fluctuating states of perceptual dominance and suppression are thought to provide a window into the neural dynamics that underlie conscious visual awareness7,8. Here we introduce a technique to measure the speed of rivalry dominance waves propagating around a large, essentially one-dimensional annulus. When mapped onto visual cortex, propagation speed is independent of eccentricity. Propagation speed doubles when waves travel along continuous contours, thus demonstrating effects of collinear facilitation. A neural model with reciprocal inhibition between two layers of units provides a quantitative explanation of dominance wave propagation in terms of disinhibition. Dominance waves provide a new tool for investigating fundamental cortical dynamics.

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Figure 1: Rivalry stimuli and data of propagation times for dominance waves.
Figure 2: Dependence of propagation times on cortical distance.
Figure 3: Neural model for dominance wave propagation.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from NSERC (H.R.W.) and NIH (R.B.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology and Centre for Vision Research, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, M3J 1P3, Ontario, Canada

    Hugh R. Wilson

  2. Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37203, Tennessee, USA

    Randolph Blake & Sang-Hun Lee

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Correspondence to Hugh R. Wilson.

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Wilson, H., Blake, R. & Lee, SH. Dynamics of travelling waves in visual perception. Nature 412, 907–910 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35091066

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