Linking visual field maps in the human brain to performance on visual tasks
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides a powerful tool for measuring how the human brain represents visual space. Throughout the visual pathway, there is an orderly representation of the external world on the cortical surface – forming maps of space. For example, in the primary visual cortex (V1), there is a retinotopic map of the position of elementary visual features, e.g. edges. Downstream areas of V1 utilise this information to form maps of more complex attributes of visual input, e.g. global shape of objects, their motion, colour, and so on.
A recent, large cohort-study (Himmelberg et al, 2021) reported that the visual field maps in different areas of the brain, obtained with brain imaging, are remarkably consistent between individuals, but only when individual differences in anatomy are taken into account. In the PhD project, we will design a battery of behavioural experiments that rely on different visual areas. We will use psychophysical methods to accurately quantify individual perceptual performance and establish links to individual variations in brain maps.
To probe the functional organisation of the visual system, we will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T in combination with anatomical and diffusion-weighted scans. This will allow us to match fMRI maps of visual cortex to behavioural phenotypes to capture the inherent variation that exists in the normal population.
This approach provides a powerful tool to understand the functional consequences of map differences in cases where maps in distinct brain areas are disordered. A common example would be children and adolescents who have suffered brain damage early in their development. This type of vision loss, called cerebral visual impairment (CVI), is the leading cause of childhood sight loss in the developed world.
First Supervisor: Dr Denis Schluppeck (School of Psychology, UoN)
Second supervisor: Dr Timothy Ledgeway (School of Psychology, UoN)
How to apply
If you are considering to apply, please get in touch with us by email.
Deadline for applications: 12th April 2023
The instructions for applying and details about the process can be found in the “How to apply” section on the departmental page with the PhD ads.