Syllabus

• Introduction
  • The neurophysiological approach to visual perception; Gestalt's theory, Marr's theory of visual perception, Hypotheses and work of Gregory and Gibson.


• Vision
  • Functional organization of visual system, Model and functions of the Retina, Primary visual cortex (LGN, V1), Extrastriate visual areas (V2-V5), Parietal cortex (LIP, VIP, MT, MST, PP) and inferior temporal cortical visual areas (TE, LOC, FFA, PPA), temporal aspects of vision, Motion and depth perception. Visual awareness.


• Neural Network models
  • Pattern association and auto-association memory, competitive networks, continuous attractor networks, network dynamics, interacting attractor networks, Network dynamics: the integrate and fire approach, Mean field based neuro-dynamics.


• Visual attentional mechanism and search
  • Introduction, classical model, biased competition – single cell and fMRI studies; the computational role of top down feedback connection; What and Where channels.


• Neurodynamics of visual attention
  • Architecture of the model, Simulation of basic experimental findings, Object recognition and spatial search, simple visual search, visual search of hierarchical patterns; the neglect syndrome, neuropsychology of hierarchical patterns, conjunction search and feature binding.


• Learning and memory
  • Functional overview, varieties of memory modules - working, short-term and long-term, episodic and semantic; MTL (Medial Temporal Lobe) in explicit learning and memory; Prefrontal cortex - consciousness and working memory; retrieval and metacognition, reward, motivation and recognition memory.


• Models of invariant object recognition
  • Introduction, approaches to invariant object recognition, hypotheses about object recognition, and computational issues in feature hierarchies, face identity processing, eye and gaze detection, face perception.


• Outputs of visual processing
  • Visual outputs to short term memory system, visual outputs to long term memory systems, visual stimulus, output to object selection and action systems, visual search.


• Future Directions
  • Integrated approach to understanding vision; conscious visual perception; emotion; mind and brain.