%0 Journal Article
%T Normalization regulates competition for visual awareness
%J Neuron
%D 2012
%A Ling, Sam
%A Blake, Randolph
%V 75
%N 3
%P 531-540
%X Signals in our brain are in a constant state of competition, including those that vie for motor control, sensory dominance, and awareness. To shed light on the mechanisms underlying neural competition, we exploit binocular rivalry, a phenomenon that allows us to probe the competitive process that ordinarily transpires outside of our awareness. By measuring psychometric functions under different states of rivalry, we discovered a pattern of gain changes that are consistent with a model of competition in which attention interacts with normalization processes, thereby driving the ebb and flow between states of awareness. Moreover, we reveal that attention plays a crucial role in modulating competition; without attention, rivalry suppression for high-contrast stimuli is negligible. We propose a framework whereby our visual awareness of competing sensory representations is governed by a common neural computation: normalization.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Cell Press
%@ 0896-6273
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.032