Influence of spatial attention on the receptive field shape of neurons in monkey area MT

Abstract

Spatial attention has been shown to produce non-multiplicative effects on visual receptive fields(vRFs) in monkey area MT, including shift and shrinkage. These non-multiplicative effects have been recently explained by a multiplicative model of attention. However, Womelsdorf et al. introduced a simplification leading to two distinct models, one for unmodulated and another for modulated responses. We provide here a unified account of both the unmodulated and modulated responses within a single model. This model relies on a divisive influence of antipreferred stimuli placed within the receptive fields of the neurons scaled by spatial attention. This model also allows to reproduce the observed influence of spatial attention and provides physiological explanation for the differential shift for the centre and surround of the receptive field.