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Preserved figure-ground segregation and symmetry perception in visual neglect

Nature volume 360, pages 73–75 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

A CENTRAL controversy in current research on visual attention is whether figures are segregated from their background preattentively1–8, or whether attention is first directed to unstructured regions of the image9–13. Here we present neurological evidence for the former view from studies of a brain-injured patient with visual neglect. His attentional impairment arises after normal segmentation of the image into figures and background has taken place. Our results indicate that information which is neglected and unavailable to higher levels of visual processing can nevertheless be processed by earlier stages in the visual system concerned with segmentation.

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Author notes

  1. Gordon C. Baylis: Department of Psychology 0109, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

  2. Robert D. Rafal: Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobiology, University of California, Davis, California 94553, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK

    Jon Driver, Gordon C. Baylis & Robert D. Rafal

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  1. Jon Driver
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  2. Gordon C. Baylis
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  3. Robert D. Rafal
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Driver, J., Baylis, G. & Rafal, R. Preserved figure-ground segregation and symmetry perception in visual neglect. Nature 360, 73–75 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/360073a0

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