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Imaging orientation selectivity: decoding conscious perception in V1

In V1, neurons preferring similar orientations are grouped in columns too small to be resolved by conventional fMRI. Two studies circumvent this limitation by using algorithms to recognize patterns of activation across a large area. This new trick allows the authors to distinguish responses to different orientations in human V1 and to study its contribution to conscious perception.

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Figure 1: Patterns of orientation-selective responses measured with fMRI.

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Boynton, G. Imaging orientation selectivity: decoding conscious perception in V1. Nat Neurosci 8, 541–542 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0505-541

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