Measuring Brain Activity to Reconstruct Visual Experiences
The principle of perpetual evidence states that brain activity is not random, and that the processes we use in mental visualizations are used in visual perception as well. The firing of neurons that occurs when one imagines shooting a free throw are the same neurons that fire when actually doing so. The fact that brain activity is complex and calculated has helped scientists see how the brain functions, and what areas are associated with certain tasks or thoughts. Nishimoto et al conducted a thorough and unprecedented experiment that has helped many understand the functioning of the brain, specifically, how brain activity relates to the perception of visual information (1). The experimental results could be helpful one day for looking at dreams, hallucinations, solving legal cases, and even diagnosing degenerative diseases. …show more content…
Random video clips were seen by subjects and the brain activity at each moment was analyzed. The average of all of these moments were calculated and recorded. This was referred to as the AHP or averaged high posterior reconstruction (1). From the information of all these clips, a data bank was created. Thus, when a subject watched a short video clip, the brain activity at the visual cortex was analyzed by the machine and an average image appeared on the computer screen. The odds of this happening by chance are zero percent. Thus the conclusion was made that certain, detailed areas of the primary visual cortex are excited when a specific detection of motion and image is made (1). The movies were shown and the computer could see what the individual was seeing. Areas involved in this field of study are important for the future when looking at dreams, diagnosing patients with brain damage in a particular area, and
The principle of perpetual evidence states that brain activity is not random, and that the processes we use in mental visualizations are used in visual perception as well. The firing of neurons that occurs when one imagines shooting a free throw are the same neurons that fire when actually doing so. The fact that brain activity is complex and calculated has helped scientists see how the brain functions, and what areas are associated with certain tasks or thoughts. Nishimoto et al conducted a thorough and unprecedented experiment that has helped many understand the functioning of the brain, specifically, how brain activity relates to the perception of visual information (1). The experimental results could be helpful one day for looking at dreams, hallucinations, solving legal cases, and even diagnosing degenerative diseases. …show more content…
Random video clips were seen by subjects and the brain activity at each moment was analyzed. The average of all of these moments were calculated and recorded. This was referred to as the AHP or averaged high posterior reconstruction (1). From the information of all these clips, a data bank was created. Thus, when a subject watched a short video clip, the brain activity at the visual cortex was analyzed by the machine and an average image appeared on the computer screen. The odds of this happening by chance are zero percent. Thus the conclusion was made that certain, detailed areas of the primary visual cortex are excited when a specific detection of motion and image is made (1). The movies were shown and the computer could see what the individual was seeing. Areas involved in this field of study are important for the future when looking at dreams, diagnosing patients with brain damage in a particular area, and