In a recent study published in Nature Communications , researchers investigate whether the human occipital-temporal cortex (OTC) co-represents the semantic and affective content of visual stimuli to guide behavior. Study: Occipital-temporal cortical tuning to semantic and affective features of natural images predicts associated behavioral responses. Image Credit: patrice6000 / Shutterstock.
com Recognizing and responding to emotionally salient stimuli is crucial for evolutionary success, as it aids survival and reproductive behaviors. Adaptive responses vary by context, such as different avoidance strategies for a large bear as compared to a weak animal, or distinct approach responses for infants and potential mates. While emotional stimuli activate various brain regions, including the amygdala and OTC, the neural mechanisms that contribute to these behavioral choices remain unclear.
Thus, further research is needed to clarify how the integrated representation of semantic and affective features in the OTC translates into specific and context-dependent behavioral responses. The current study protocol was approved by the University of California Berkeley committee for protection of human subjects and informed consent. Data were collected from six healthy adults with a mean age of 24 and with normal or corrected vision.
Study participants viewed 1,620 natural images that were categorized into 23 semantic categories by four raters and obtained from the International Affective Pict.