Brain Dynamics at Riken

The laboratory for Human Brain Dynamics (HBD) uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study basic mechanisms of brain function with emphasis on visual processing and the interaction between cognition and emotions．We have also used visual cues to study the occulomotor system and the role of attention and processing of stimuli presented at the center and periphery of the visual field.. Here are some recent results: we found the earliest effect of attention in primary visual cortex, well within 100 ms. We demonstrated that the interaction between the primary and extrastriate visual cortex is different when faces are presented in the fovea or the lower part of the visual field and the upper visual field. We have shown that face specificity in extrastriate cortex begins within 100 ms. Recently we identified stimulus and task-dependent and effects for processing illusory and moving stimuli, sensitive to where the stimulus was presented in the visual field. In summary, Our results show that the visual system can perform complex operations at extraordinary high speed, using different mechanisms for stimuli presented at the center and periphery of the visual field.