Takemura Lab Seminar: Jan W Kurzawski (Maastricht University, Netherlands)
Date and Time
November 13th, 2025, 16:00-17:00, Japan Standard Time
Format
Online format
Co-Host
Frontiers of Life Sciences [Spin-L]
Registration
For online participants, please register using the URL (registration form) below. The Zoom URL will be announced only for registered attendees.
Registration Form (Deadline: Nov 6th)
Language
English
Speaker
Jan W Kurzawski
Assistant Professor
Maastricht University, Netherlands
Title and Abstract
Title: Human V4 size predicts crowding distance
Abstract: Visual recognition is limited by both object size (acuity) and spacing. The spacing limit, called "crowding", is the failure to recognize an object in the presence of other objects. Here, we take advantage of individual differences in crowding to investigate its biological basis. Crowding distance, the minimum object spacing needed for recognition, varies 2-fold among healthy adults. We test the conjecture that this variation in psychophysical crowding distance is due to variation in cortical map size. To test this, we make paired measurements of brain and behavior in 49 observers. We use psychophysics to measure crowding distance and calculate λ, the number of letters that fit into each observer's visual field without crowding. In the same observers, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the surface area of retinotopic maps V1, V2, V3, and V4. Across observers, λ is proportional to the surface area of V4 but is uncorrelated with the surface area of V1 to V3. The proportional relationship of λ to area of V4 indicates conservation of cortical crowding distance across individuals: letters can be recognized if they are spaced by at least 1.4 mm on the V4 map, irrespective of map size and psychophysical crowding distance. We conclude that the size of V4 predicts the spacing limit of visual perception.