Neural Shape-Up: Brain anticipates object perception
By Bruce Bower
Many neuroscientists suspect that in order to see, a person first sorts through edges, contours, and other basic visual features using a brain area called the primary visual cortex. Then so-called higher visual areas of the brain assemble these features into perceptions of shapes and objects.
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However, according to a new investigation, at least one of these higher areas shapes what we see from the get-go, and it does it by actually suppressing activity in the primary visual cortex.