What do you see?

I have a retina that contains rhodopsin (a rod visual pigment) and four kinds of cone visual pigments.

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Research

Our lab uses functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to study perceptual representations in human visual cortex. We are currently focusing on the organization of visual field maps, stimulus selectivity and inter-map connectivity in human ventral cortex. Measurements in patients with retinal dystrophies or cortical lesions complement these fundamental measurements to explore how the organization and stimulus selectively of this region are altered in pathological conditions.

A second goal of our lab is to bring our expertise in 'in vivo'measurements of perceptual representations in human visual cortex to the study of the visual deficits in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Our measurements investigate whether there is a systematic change in visual cortex as part of the pathophysiology of these diseases. Our hope is that such data will contribute to earlier and more definitive detection of these forms of dementia and a better understanding of the differences between AD and PCA.

Selected Publications

For more publications please see Alyssa A. Brewer's CV and Alyssa Brewer's Google Scholar results.

	Visual Field Maps in Human Cortex BA Wandell, SO Dumoulin, AA Brewer - Neuron, 2007 Oct 25;56(2):366-83. We survey recent measurements of human visual field maps, describe hypotheses about the function and relationships between maps, and consider methods to improve map measurements and characterize the response properties of neurons comprising these maps. >> PDF \| Google Scholar \| PubMed

	Computational Neuroimaging: Color Signals in the Visual Pathways BA WANDELL, SO DUMOULIN, AA BREWER - Neuro Ophthalmology Japan, 2006 vol. 23 pp. 324-343. This review describes measurements of visual field maps and color signals in human visual cortex. >> PDF

	Visual field maps and stimulus selectivity in human ventral occipital cortex AA Brewer, J Liu, AR Wade, BA Wandell - Nat Neurosci, 2005 Aug;8(8):1102-9. We describe the organization and stimulus responsivity of two new hemifield maps, VO-1 and VO-2, within this cluster. The maps and stimulus responsivity support a general organization of visual cortex based on clusters of maps that serve distinct computational functions. >> PDF \| Google Scholar \| PubMed

	Lack of long-term cortical reorganization after macaque retinal lesions SM Smirnakis, AA Brewer, MC Schmid, AS Tolias, A … - Nature, 2005 Several aspects of cortical organization are thought to remain plastic into adulthood, allowing cortical sensorimotor maps to be modified continuously by experience. This dynamic nature of cortical circuitry is important for ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Functional organization of human occipital-callosal fiber tracts RF Dougherty, M Ben-Shachar, R Bammer, AA Brewer, … - Proc Natl Acad Sci US A, 2005 Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fiber tracking (FT) were used to measure the occipital lobe fiber tracts connecting the two hemispheres in individual human subjects. These tracts are important for normal vision. Also, damage to ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Visual field map clusters in human cortex BA Wandell, AA Brewer, RF Dougherty - Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, 2005 We describe the location and general properties of nine human visual field maps. The cortical location of each map, as well as many examples of the eccentricity and angular representations within these maps, are shown in a series of ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Long-term deprivation affects visual perception and cortex I Fine, AR Wade, AA Brewer, MG May, DF Goodman, GM … - Nature Neuroscience, 2003 Recovery after long-term blindness was first studied 1 in 1793, but few cases have been reported since 2–7 . We combined psychophysical and neuroimaging techniques to characterize the effects of long-term visual deprivation on ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Visual areas in macaque cortex measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging AA Brewer, WA Press, NK Logothetis, BA Wandell - Journal of Neuroscience, 2002 We describe the first systematic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements of visual field maps in macaque visual cortex. The boundaries of visual areas V1, V2, V3, V3A, V4, MT/V5, and TEO/V4A were identified using ... PDF \| Google Scholar

For more publications please see Alyssa A. Brewer's CV and Alyssa Brewer's Google Scholar results.

	Visual Field Maps in Human Cortex BA Wandell, SO Dumoulin, AA Brewer - Neuron, 2007 Oct 25;56(2):366-83. We survey recent measurements of human visual field maps, describe hypotheses about the function and relationships between maps, and consider methods to improve map measurements and characterize the response properties of neurons comprising these maps. >> PDF \| Google Scholar \| PubMed

	Computational Neuroimaging: Color Signals in the Visual Pathways BA WANDELL, SO DUMOULIN, AA BREWER - Neuro Ophthalmology Japan, 2006 vol. 23 pp. 324-343. This review describes measurements of visual field maps and color signals in human visual cortex. >> PDF

	Visual field maps and stimulus selectivity in human ventral occipital cortex AA Brewer, J Liu, AR Wade, BA Wandell - Nat Neurosci, 2005 Aug;8(8):1102-9. We describe the organization and stimulus responsivity of two new hemifield maps, VO-1 and VO-2, within this cluster. The maps and stimulus responsivity support a general organization of visual cortex based on clusters of maps that serve distinct computational functions. >> PDF \| Google Scholar \| PubMed

	Lack of long-term cortical reorganization after macaque retinal lesions SM Smirnakis, AA Brewer, MC Schmid, AS Tolias, A … - Nature, 2005 Several aspects of cortical organization are thought to remain plastic into adulthood, allowing cortical sensorimotor maps to be modified continuously by experience. This dynamic nature of cortical circuitry is important for ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Functional organization of human occipital-callosal fiber tracts RF Dougherty, M Ben-Shachar, R Bammer, AA Brewer, … - Proc Natl Acad Sci US A, 2005 Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fiber tracking (FT) were used to measure the occipital lobe fiber tracts connecting the two hemispheres in individual human subjects. These tracts are important for normal vision. Also, damage to ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Visual field map clusters in human cortex BA Wandell, AA Brewer, RF Dougherty - Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, 2005 We describe the location and general properties of nine human visual field maps. The cortical location of each map, as well as many examples of the eccentricity and angular representations within these maps, are shown in a series of ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Long-term deprivation affects visual perception and cortex I Fine, AR Wade, AA Brewer, MG May, DF Goodman, GM … - Nature Neuroscience, 2003 Recovery after long-term blindness was first studied 1 in 1793, but few cases have been reported since 2–7 . We combined psychophysical and neuroimaging techniques to characterize the effects of long-term visual deprivation on ... PDF \| Google Scholar

	Visual areas in macaque cortex measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging AA Brewer, WA Press, NK Logothetis, BA Wandell - Journal of Neuroscience, 2002 We describe the first systematic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements of visual field maps in macaque visual cortex. The boundaries of visual areas V1, V2, V3, V3A, V4, MT/V5, and TEO/V4A were identified using ... PDF \| Google Scholar