Impacts of older age on the temporal properties of collinear facilitation

Abstract

Collinear facilitation is a visual phenomenon by which the contrast detection threshold of a central target is reduced (facilitation) when placed equidistant between two high-contrast flankers. The neural mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon originate from feed-forward lateral facilitation between cell layers in V1 (slower) and feedback facilitation from extrastriate visual areas to V1 (faster). The strength of these contributions has been explored in younger adults by presenting the central target and flankers at varying timing offsets. Here, we investigated the effects of older age on collinear facilitation with flankers presented in sync, before, and after target onset, to allow the in..