How the brain chooses what you see
How Does Normalization Regulate Visual Competition?
This work looks at how a basic brain process called normalization helps people focus on one visual thing when many things compete for attention.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11287850 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would have your brain activity recorded with high-resolution functional MRI while looking at natural scenes or simple visual patterns. The team will measure how groups of brain cells respond when visual features like orientation and spatial frequency compete, and how directing your attention changes those responses. They will compare the brain data to computer models based on divisive normalization to see if feature-tuned normalization explains the patterns. The overall aim is to map how early and later visual areas use this computation during normal viewing and when you actively attend to parts of a scene.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults with normal or corrected vision who can tolerate an MRI scan; the project may also include people with attention or visual-processing difficulties.
Not a fit: People with severe vision loss or those who cannot undergo MRI (for example, due to metal implants or claustrophobia) are unlikely to participate or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to better ways to diagnose or rehabilitate attention and visual-processing problems.
How similar studies have performed: Divisive normalization is supported by animal studies and some human work, but applying feature-selective normalization to human visual cortex with attention is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ling, Sam — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Ling, Sam
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.