PREPARING TO SEE

Neural mechanisms of top-down preparation and their influence on visual awareness of real-world objects

Coordinatore	UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO    more  Organization address address: VIA CALEPINA 14 city: TRENTO postcode: 38122 contact info Titolo: Prof. Nome: Vallortigara Cognome: Giorgio Email: send email Telefono: +39 0464 808676
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Italy [IT]
Totale costo	179˙739 €
EC contributo	179˙739 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF
Funding Scheme	MC-IEF
Anno di inizio	2014
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2014-05-01   -   2016-04-30

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO  Organization address address: VIA CALEPINA 14 city: TRENTO postcode: 38122 contact info Titolo: Prof. Nome: Vallortigara Cognome: Giorgio Email: send email Telefono: +39 0464 808676	IT (TRENTO)	coordinator	179˙739.60

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'A central debate in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience revolves around whether attention is required for visual awareness of real-world objects. The aim of the proposed project is to help resolving this debate by determining the behavioral consequences and neural mechanisms of top-down preparation on visual awareness of natural objects. Whether we are prepared to detect objects of a specific category may strongly influence whether we consciously perceive an object. Differences in such top-down preparation may explain why different studies arrived at conflicting conclusions about the role of attention in conscious object perception. First, the effect of top-down preparation on awareness of objects will be quantified using psychophysics. Second, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) guided by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be used to determine whether preparatory neural activity in category-specific visual cortical areas plays a causal role in top-down preparation and access to awareness. Third, the influence of top-down preparation on unconscious object representations will be measured using a novel eye tracking technique and fMRI. These studies will provide important insights into the influence and neural mechanisms of top-down influences on conscious perception and will thereby help to reconcile conflicting views on the relationship between attention and awareness.'