SMQB Seminar -Multiplexing, An oscillatory pipelining mechanism supporting visual exploration and reading

Speaker

Professor Ole Jensen, Co-director of the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH), University of Birmingham

Abstract

Humans typically saccade every ~250 ms during visual exploration and reading. Since saccade initiation and execution take 100 ms, this leaves only ~150 ms to recognize the fixated object (or word) while simultaneously previewing candidates for the next saccade goal. We have hypothesized a pipelining mechanism (Jensen et al, 2021, TICS) where serial processing occurs within a specific brain region, whereas parallel processing occurs across different brain regions. The mechanism is timed by alpha oscillations that coordinate the saccades and visual recognition in the cortical hierarchy. I will present partial support for this framework based on rapid invisible frequency tagging (RIFT) and data acquired by MEG. I will also present data supporting that saccades are coordinated by the phase of alpha oscillations during visual exploration and reading. Finally, I will discuss how the proposed framework can be further investigated in adults; but also in children using OPM-MEG with the aim of investigating attention and reading disorders. Jensen, O., Frisson, S., Pan, Y., and Wang, L. (2021) A pipelining mechanism supporting previewing during visual exploration and reading. Trends in Cogn Sci 25:103301044