Visual Information Processing Research Articles

Pathway-selective optogenetics reveals the functional anatomy of top-down attentional modulation in the macaque visual cortex.

Spatial attention represents a powerful top-down influence on sensory responses in primate visual cortical areas. The frontal eye field (FEF) has emerged as a key candidate area for the source of this modulation. However, it is unclear whether the FEF exerts its effects via its direct axonal projections to visual areas or indirectly through other brain areas and whether the FEF affects both the enhancement of attended and the suppression of unattended sensory responses. We used pathway-selective optogenetics in rhesus macaques performing a spatial attention task to inhibit the direct input from the FEF to area MT, an area along the dorsal visual pathway specialized for the processing of visual motion information. Our results show that the optogenetic inhibition of the FEF input specifically reduces attentional modulation in MT by about a third without affecting the neurons' sensory response component. We find that the direct FEF-to-MT pathway contributes to both the enhanced processing of target stimuli and the suppression of distractors. The FEF, thus, selectively modulates firing rates in visual area MT, and it does so via its direct axonal projections.

Towards ubiquitous and nonintrusive measurements of brain function in the real world: assessing blink-related oscillations during simulated flight using portable low-cost EEG.

Blink-related oscillations (BRO) are newly discovered neurophysiological phenomena associated with spontaneous blinking and represent cascading neural mechanisms including visual sensory, episodic memory, and information processing responses. These phenomena have been shown to be present at rest and during tasks and are modulated by cognitive load, creating the possibility for brain function assessments that can be integrated seamlessly into real-world settings. Prior works have largely examined the BRO phenomenon within controlled laboratory environments using magnetoencephalography and high-density electroencephalography (EEG) that are ill-suited for real-world deployment. Investigating BROs using low-density EEG within complex environments reflective of the real-world would further our understanding of how BRO responses can be utilized in real-world settings. We evaluated whether the BRO response could be captured in a high-fidelity flight simulation environment using a portable, low-density wireless EEG system. The effects of age and task demands on BRO responses were also examined. EEG data from 30 licensed pilots (age 43.37 +/- 17.86, 2 females) were collected during simulated flights at two cognitive workload levels. Comparisons of signal amplitudes were undertaken to confirm the presence of BRO responses and mixed model ANOVAs quantified the effects of workload and age group on BRO amplitudes. Significant increases in neural activity were observed post-blink compared to the baseline period (p < 0.05), confirming the presence of BRO responses. In line with prior studies, results showed BRO time-domain responses from the delta band (0.5-4 Hz) consisting of an early negative peak followed by a positive peak post-blink in temporal and parietal electrodes. Additionally, task workload and age-related effects were also found, with observations of the enhancement of BRO amplitudes with older age and attenuation of BRO responses in high workloads (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that it is possible to capture BRO responses within simulated flight environments using portable, low-cost, easy-to-use EEG systems. Furthermore, biological and task salience were reflected in these BRO responses. The successful detection and demonstration of both task-and age-related modulation of BRO responses in this study open the possibility of assessing human brain function across the lifespan with BRO responses in complex and realistic environments.

Exploring diagram-based visual problem representation and relational abstraction

ABSTRACT For visual information processing, the derivation of meaningful low-level spatio-temporal information is challenging. In line with human visualisation and perception in spatial problem-solving, we believe explicit representations hold promise for efficient low-level abstractions. An approach for mapping spatial objects and relations, exploring diagrams’ representation power for problem visualisation, is presented. Combined, qualitative spatio-temporal reasoning and diagrammatic reasoning directly influence information visualisation and abstraction over the physical substrate of a problem. The framework preserves objects’ low-level spatio-temporal information over time, facilitating the interpretation of unique relationships. A 78% average activity recognition accuracy on the CAVIAR and Mind’s Eye datasets demonstrates the effectiveness of the suggested abstraction approach.

Evaluation of visual plasticity in patients with refractive amblyopia treated using a visual perceptual learning system.

Amblyopia is a neurological deficit in binocular vision that affects 3% of the population and is the result of disruptions in early visual development. In this study, we used a visual perceptual learning system for the short-term treatment of children with ametropic amblyopia and evaluated the clinical efficacy of this system in terms of visual plasticity. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 114 children (228 eyes) with refractive amblyopia, who were aged 6.51 ± 1.51 years. Prior to the treatment, we evaluated all children with amblyopia using the visual information processing test. We determined the type of amblyopic defect according to the type of amblyopia, corrected visual acuity, and advanced visual function test results. Based on the type of defect, each child with amblyopia was given short-term visual perception training for 10 days. Finally, we compared the results of visual acuity and visual information processing tests before and after the treatment. The best-corrected visual acuity of patients was better after 10 days of visual training than that before training (P< 0.05). The perceptual eye position after training improved with statistically significant differences in horizontal and vertical perceptual eye position (both P< 0.05) compared to that before training. The number of amblyopic children without suppression in both eyes was 81 cases (71.1%) after training which was higher than that (65 cases, or 57.0%) before training, with a statistically significant difference (P< 0.05). Binocular fine stereopsis and dynamic stereopsis improved after training with a statistically significant difference (both P< 0.05). In this study, it was found that patients with amblyopia showed visual plasticity. Moreover, continuous visual perceptual learning improved the best-corrected visual acuity and recovered stereopsis in children with refractive amblyopia.

IdeNet: Making Neural Network Identify Camouflaged Objects Like Creatures.

Camouflaged objects often blend in with their surroundings, making the perception of a camouflaged object a more complex procedure. However, most neural-network-based methods that simulate the visual information processing pathway of creatures only roughly define the general process, which deficiently reproduces the process of identifying camouflaged objects. How to make modeled neural networks perceive camouflaged objects as effectively as creatures is a significant topic that deserves further consideration. After meticulous analysis of biological visual information processing, we propose an end-to-end prudent and comprehensive neural network, termed IdeNet, to model the critical information processing. Specifically, IdeNet divides the entire perception process into five stages: information collection, information augmentation, information filtering, information localization, and information correction and object identification. In addition, we design tailored visual information processing mechanisms for each stage, including the information augmentation module (IAM), the information filtering module (IFM), the information localization module (ILM), and the information correction module (ICM), to model the critical visual information processing and establish the inextricable association of biological behavior and visual information processing. The extensive experiments show that IdeNet outperforms state-of-the-art methods in all benchmarks, demonstrating the effectiveness of the five-stage partitioning of visual information processing pathway and the tailored visual information processing mechanisms for camouflaged object detection. Our code is publicly available at: https://github.com/whyandbecause/IdeNet.

Occlusal effects on text reading: an eye-tracker study.

Asymmetric electromyographic (EMG) activity during teeth clenching has been linked to cognitive impairment, as evaluated by the Spinnler-Tognoni matrices test, and to asymmetric pupil size (anisocoria). Anisocoria indicates an asymmetric Locus Coeruleus activity, leading to an asymmetric hemispheric excitability worsening cognitive performance. Bite splint wearing corrects EMG asymmetry, reduces anisocoria and improves cognitive performance. This study explores the possible effect of EMG asymmetry on oculomotor behavior during text reading. In subjects showing different degrees of EMG asymmetry during clenching, the number and duration of fixation periods during a reading task, performed under two different occlusal conditions were analyzed. The first lecture was executed with a dental impression (imprint) interposed between the dental arches (corrected condition) and the second one with the arches in direct contact (habitual condition), without clenching effort. The imprint reduced the EMG asymmetries during clenching. In both occlusal conditions, total reading time correlated with duration of fixations, but not with their number. An inverse relation was observed between the number of fixations and their duration across individuals. Fixation frequency and duration were positively and negatively correlated with the amplitude of EMG asymmetry, respectively. Differently, total reading time was not related to the EMG asymmetry. When switching from the corrected to the habitual condition, an increase in the number of fixations and a reduction in their duration was observed, while total reading time could be either increased or decreased. An increased fixation frequency was observed in most of the subjects, while a reduced duration only among individuals with shorter reading times in habitual condition. In the habitual condition, EMG asymmetry influences reading patterns (more saccades/shorter fixations, less saccades/longer fixations) in our sample. The changes in text reading behavior elicited by occlusal correction can be explained by assuming that occlusal disharmony negatively interferes with the reading task by increasing the number of saccades necessary for text scanning. This finding may also indicate an increased difficulty in processing of visual information. The potential involvement of trigeminal pathways in the relation between occlusal factors and oculomotor control is discussed.

Outcome Measures of In-Office Optometric Visual Rehabilitation Intervention on Oculomotor Function, Visual Processing Skills, and Reading Efficiency Scores in Children with Formally Identified Academic Difficulties

Oculomotor dysfunction (OMD) and visual information processing (VIP) deficits are often seen in children with reading difficulties. Prior published evidence has shown statistically significant correlations between several metrics, in particular vergence facility and reading efficiency at baseline within an office-based vision therapy (OBVT) setting supported by home vision therapy (HVT). However, data on the effects of OBVT on OMD, VIP deficits, and reading performance is currently lacking. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether vision therapy improves VIP deficits in children diagnosed specifically with a dyseidetic based reading problem with confirmed concurrent oculomotor dysfunction.

Swedish version of the Massof activity inventory to measure vision‐related activity difficulties among patients with nAMD

Aims/Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess vision‐related activity difficulties among patients with neovascular AMD using a Swedish version of the mass of activity inventory (MAI).Methods: Participants were patients diagnosed with neovascular AMD receiving treatment for the disease in a hospital in southeast Sweden. Participants completed the Swedish version of the MAI questionnaire. MAI can be used to measure the overall visual ability and visual ability in 4 functional domains: reading, mobility, visual motor function and visual information processing. Best corrected distance and near visual acuity (VA) were also measured.Results: Among the 196 participants (mean age = 78.5 years, SD = 7.67, 66% female) the median VA in the better seeing eye was 0.18 logMAR (IQR = 0.34), and in the worse eye was 0.54 logMAR (IQR = 0.98). The median visual ability for all participants was 1.92 logits (IQR = 2.69). There was a significant negative correlation between distance VA in the better eye and visual ability (rho = −0.4025, p &lt; 0.01). Using ROC curves, we tested the capacity of the MAI to detect cases of any vision impairment (VA worse than 0.3 logMAR in the better seeing eye), the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.717 (95% CI = 0.643–0.791 p &lt; 0.001). When we tested for detection of moderate vision impairment (VA worse than 0.5 logMAR in the better seeing eye) the AUC was 0.738 (95% CI = 0.648–0.829 p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: The results indicate that the Swedish version of the MAI produce measures of visual ability that are consistent with clinical measures among patients with nAMD. The Swedish version of the MAI can be used as outcome measure in interventions for people with nAMD.

Aberrant high-beta band functional connectivity during reward processing in melancholic major depressive disorder: An MEG study

ObjectiveTo identify the spatial–temporal pattern variation of whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) during reward processing in melancholic major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, and to determine the clinical correlates of connectomic differences. Methods61 MDD patients and 32 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. During magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanning, all participants completed the facial emotion recognition task. The MDD patients were further divided into two groups: melancholic (n = 31) and non-melancholic (n = 30), based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) assessment. Melancholic symptoms were examined by using the 6-item melancholia subscale from the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D6). The whole-brain orthogonalized power envelope connections in the high-beta band (20–35 Hz) were constructed in each period after the happy emotional stimuli (0–200 ms, 100–300 ms, 200–400 ms, 300–500 ms, and 400–600 ms). Then, the network-based statistic (NBS) was used to determine the specific abnormal connection patterns in melancholic MDD patients. ResultsThe NBS identified a sub-network difference at the mid-late period (300–500 ms) in response to happy faces among the three groups (corrected P = 0.035). Then, the post hoc and correlation analyses found five FCs were decreased in melancholic MDD patients and were related to HAM-D6 score, including FCs of left fusiform gyrus-right orbital inferior frontal gyrus (r = −0.52, P < 0.001), left fusiform gyrus-left amygdala (r = −0.26, P = 0.049), left posterior cingulate gyrus-right precuneus (r = −0.32, P = 0.025), left precuneus-right precuneus (r = −0.27, P = 0.049), and left precuneus-left inferior occipital gyrus (r = −0.32, P = 0.025). ConclusionIn response to happy faces, melancholic MDD patients demonstrated a disrupted functional connective pattern (20–35 Hz, 300–500 ms), which involved brain regions in visual information processing and the limbic system. The aberrant functional connective pattern in reward processing might be a biomarker of melancholic MDD.

Facial symmetry perception and attractiveness ratings in body dysmorphic disorder

Cognitive-behavioral models of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) conceptualize biases in visual information processing as maintaining factors of the disorder. Empirical findings point to selective attentional mechanisms and a detail-oriented information processing style in facial perception, which are related to perceived facial aesthetics. However, so far, it remains unclear whether higher discrimination abilities of facial symmetry and related attractiveness ratings contribute to the mind as a filter in BDD. BDD (n = 25) and mentally healthy subjects (n = 25) rated symmetry and attractiveness of fifty animated, three-dimensional facial photographs characterized by diverging geometrical symmetry. Main findings emerging from mixed effects models indicated that perceived symmetry, but not objective symmetry, predicted perceived attractiveness. Group status did not predict symmetry or attractiveness ratings. Exploratory analyses indicated potentially clinically relevant mechanisms of symmetry ratings in BDD and revealed faster attractiveness ratings in unattractive vs. attractive faces across groups. Our findings refute the hypothesis of higher discrimination abilities of facial symmetry as a maintaining factor in BDD. Implications for attention and perception retraining in the context of cognitive-behavioral therapy for BDD are discussed.

Features of oculomotor activity (eye movement) in patients with schizophrenia in recognizing essential signs using the example of the "Exclusion of the 4th superfluous" technique

The research is devoted to the study of the specifics of oculomotor activity of patients with schizophrenia when solving the cognitive task of searching for common (similar) signs in 4 stimulus images and, on this basis, the exclusion of 1 superfluous object on the cards of the "Exclusion of the 4th superfluous" technique. Oculomotor activity is a reliable biomarker of both conscious and unconscious cognitive processes, and eye movement patterns serve as a quantitative (objective) characteristic of the process of perception, attention and thinking in real time. When solving cognitive tasks, the subject of study was the mental processes of patients with schizophrenia: comparison, classification, generalization, abstraction, which were revealed in the responses of patients in the "Exclusion of the fourth superfluous" technique. The respondents' answers were analyzed depending on the level of generalization: by categorical and functional criteria, by specific situational criteria, and latent criteria. To assess the characteristics of oculomotor activity, the AI tracker method was used using a hardware and software complex for contactless registration of human oculomotor activity. To assess the characteristics of mental activity, the “Exclusion of the fourth superfluous" technique was used. Patients with schizophrenia demonstrate difficulties in the recognition process, there is an emphasis on individual parts of the image, as well as: chaotic movements of the gaze between objects and their details. This indicates the need for a longer time period for image recognition, as well as difficulties in analyzing and identifying common essential features of objects (images), as a result of which schizophrenia patients carry out mental generalization operations based on a variety of, more often insignificant and latent signs, which is reflected in making the "wrong" decision. The study of eye movement during the solution of such mental tasks has shown that the characteristics of the gaze during the search for common features reflect the mental acts of comparison and generalization of essential features and can provide objective information about the difficulties and violations of the produced. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the features of oculomotor activity in patients with schizophrenia are closely related to disorders of cognitive processing of visual information at early levels of the thought process. Eye movements in solving cognitive tasks accompany the mental process of searching and selecting significant features from the general background of diverse visual information and reflect the difficulties of its selection.

Sleep, activity, and cognition: An analysis of academic impact on university students

Purpose: This study aimed to construct and assess a theoretical framework to elucidate the interrelationships between sleep, physical activity, cognitive function, and academic outcomes in Qatari university students. Methods: A study involving 44 students (age: 23.59 years ± 4.34) was conducted. The variables included “grade” (academic performance), rapid visual information processing (RVIP), sleeping efficiency (SE), and average weekly steps (WS). Changes in RVIP, SE, and WS over six weeks (two weeks before, during, and after exams) were analyzed using the Friedman test. Bivariate Spearman’s correlations and mediation and moderation analyses were performed. Results: The Friedman test confirmed significant variations in WS over the study period, indicating fluctuating physical activity levels. A negative correlation was observed between age and physical activity, indicating decreased physical activity in older students. A positive correlation was observed between academic performance and physical activity, suggesting a beneficial impact of physical activity on academic outcomes. There was a significant indirect effect of physical activity on academic performance via cognitive functioning, highlighting cognitive mediation. Conclusions: These findings underscore the role of physical activity in enhancing academic performance, potentially through cognitive advantages. This study establishes positive correlations between physical activity, academic performance, among university students.

Effect of Vision Therapy on Visual Information Processing Skills in a High School Student

Few published case reports exist demonstrating the efficacy of vision therapy on visual information processing skills. This case report describes a case in which vision therapy made demonstrable improvements in processing skills in a high-school student.

Benchmarking of a Camera-less Random Bin Picking Strategy

This paper addresses the limitations of camera-based random bin picking (RBP) strategies by proposing an innovative strategy that relies solely on a 6-axis load cell instead of cameras and image processing algorithms. Specific applications of RBP include loading and unloading industrial assembly machines, transferring objects between industrial workstations, and picking objects to be assembled directly. Camera-based RBP systems are limited in industrial settings due to challenges related to image processing robustness, high costs of hardware and software, the need for 3D models and extensive training datasets. These limitations are inherently tied to the reliance on camera-based technology and image processing AI. This paper presents a novel camera-less RBP strategy, eliminating the need for visual information processing altogether and circumventing these limitations. The strategy is largely agnostic to factors such as bin size, object material and gripper size, and as such can be modularly configured to the user's needs. This strategy is demonstrated using a collaborative robot, highlighting the advantages in a collaborative environment. The proposed strategy is evaluated through feasibility case studies on several objects of different geometries, namely navel oranges, cardboard boxes and resin bottles, and performance metrics are benchmarked. The strategy has an average success rate of 99%, average cycle time of 26.08 seconds per object and an average grip success rate of 47%.

Tunable synaptic behaviors of solution-processed InGaO films for artificial visual systems.

Due to their persistent photoconductivity, amorphous metal oxide thin films are promising for construction of artificial visual systems. In this work, large-scale, uniformly distributed amorphous InGaO thin films with an adjustable In/Ga ratio and thickness are prepared successfully by a low-cost environmentally friendly and easy-to-handle solution process for constructing artificial visual systems. With the increase of the In/Ga ratio and film thickness, the number of oxygen vacancies increases, along with the increase of post-synaptic current triggered by illumination, benefiting the transition of short-term plasticity to long-term plasticity. With an optimal In/Ga ratio and film thickness, the conductance response difference at a decay of 0 s between the 1st and the 10th views of a 5 × 5 array InGaO thin film transistor is up to 2.88 μA, along with an increase in the Idecay 30s/Idecay 0s ratio from 45.24% to 53.24%, resulting in a high image clarity and non-volatile artificial visual memory. Furthermore, a three-layer artificial vision network is constructed to evaluate the image recognition capability, exhibiting an accuracy of up to 91.32%. All results promise low-cost and easy-to-handle amorphous InGaO thin films for future visual information processing and image recognition.

Neurocognitive Features of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Distress Symptoms in Older Adults Without Major Depression.

Two distinct symptom dimensions were identified in older adults who did not have major depressive disorder (MDD): a) a dimension associated with mild cognitive dysfunction, and b) a dimension related to distress symptoms of old age (DSOA). It is uncertain whether previous findings regarding the features of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) remain valid when patients with MDD are excluded. To examine the neurocognitive features of aMCI (n = 61) versus controls (n=59) and the objective cognitive characteristics of DSOA in participants without MDD. Neurocognition was evaluated utilizing the Cambridge Neurological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and memory tests. This research demonstrated that CANTAB tests may differentiate between aMCI and controls. The One Touch Stockings of Cambridge, probability solved on first choice (OTS_PSFC), Rapid Visual Information Processing, A prime (RVP_ A´), and the Motor Screening Task, mean latency, were identified as the significant discriminatory CANTAB tests. 37.6% of the variance in the severity of aMCI was predicted by OTS_PSFC, RVP_ A´, word list recognition scores, and education years. Psychosocial stressors (adverse childhood experiences, negative life events), subjective feelings of cognitive impairment, and RVP, the probability of false alarm, account for 40.0% of the DSOA score. When MDD is ruled out, aMCI is linked to deficits in attention, executive functions, and memory. Psychosocial stressors did not have a statistically significant impact on aMCI or its severity. Enhanced false alarm response bias coupled with heightened psychological stress (including subjective perceptions of cognitive decline) may contribute to an increase in DSOA among older adults.

Generating normative data from web-based administration of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery using a Bayesian framework.

Normative cognitive data can distinguish impairment from healthy cognitive function and pathological decline from normal ageing. Traditional methods for deriving normative data typically require extremely large samples of healthy participants, stratifying test variation by pre-specified age groups and key demographic features (age, sex, education). Linear regression approaches can provide normative data from more sparsely sampled datasets, but non-normal distributions of many cognitive test results may lead to violation of model assumptions, limiting generalisability. The current study proposes a novel Bayesian framework for normative data generation. Participants (n = 728; 368 male and 360 female, age 18-75 years), completed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery via the research crowdsourcing website Prolific.ac. Participants completed tests of visuospatial recognition memory (Spatial Working Memory test), visual episodic memory (Paired Associate Learning test) and sustained attention (Rapid Visual Information Processing test). Test outcomes were modelled as a function of age using Bayesian Generalised Linear Models, which were able to derive posterior distributions of the authentic data, drawing from a wide family of distributions. Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms generated a large synthetic dataset from posterior distributions for each outcome measure, capturing normative distributions of cognition as a function of age, sex and education. Comparison with stratified and linear regression methods showed converging results, with the Bayesian approach producing similar age, sex and education trends in the data, and similar categorisation of individual performance levels. This study documents a novel, reproducible and robust method for describing normative cognitive performance with ageing using a large dataset.

An open platform for visual stimulation of insects.

To study how the nervous system processes visual information, experimenters must record neural activity while delivering visual stimuli in a controlled fashion. In animals with a nearly panoramic field of view, such as flies, precise stimulation of the entire visual field is challenging. We describe a projector-based device for stimulation of the insect visual system under a microscope. The device is based on a bowl-shaped screen that provides a wide and nearly distortion-free field of view. It is compact, cheap, easy to assemble, and easy to operate using the included open-source software for stimulus generation. We validate the virtual reality system technically and demonstrate its capabilities in a series of experiments at two levels: the cellular, by measuring the membrane potential responses of visual interneurons; and the organismal, by recording optomotor and fixation behavior of Drosophila melanogaster in tethered flight. Our experiments reveal the importance of stimulating the visual system of an insect with a wide field of view, and we provide a simple solution to do so.

인공지능(AI)을 활용한 건축디자인 정보처리 모델에 관한 연구

Recently, there is a lot of discussion in the architectural world about the impact that artificial intelligence image generation models will have on architectural design. Artificial intelligence uses information processing theory to analyze and model human cognitive abilities. According to information processing theory, architectural design is an information processing activity that establishes reasonable concepts to solve spatial problems and processes visual and conceptual information that corresponds to them. In this study, the five information processing processes of Akin's (1986) information processing model, DIPS (design information processing system), 'Information acquisition', 'Information representation', 'Information projection', 'Information confirmation', and 'Regulation of control'. The characteristics of architectural design thinking types, ‘convergent thinking’, ‘divergent thinking’, and ‘analogical thinking’ were examined. Through this, I identified the characteristics of representative design-related artificial intelligence NLP, GAN, and DNN and proposed an architectural design information processing model using artificial intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to examine the architectural design information processing model and compare the characteristics of the thinking style that occurs in the process with the characteristics of the artificial intelligence model to analyze the possibility of using artificial intelligence in architectural design and to provide architectural design information using artificial intelligence. The goal is to propose a processing model.

Heterogeneous presynaptic receptive fields contribute to directional tuning in starburst amacrine cells.

The processing of visual information by retinal starburst amacrine cells (SACs) involves transforming excitatory input from bipolar cells (BCs) into directional calcium output. While previous studies have suggested that an asymmetry in the kinetic properties of BCs along the soma-dendritic axes of the postsynaptic cell could enhance directional tuning at the level of individual branches, it remains unclear whether biologically relevant presynaptic kinetics contribute to direction selectivity (DS) when visual stimulation engages the entire dendritic tree. To address this question, we built multicompartmental models of the bipolar-SAC circuit and trained them to boost directional tuning. We report that despite significant dendritic crosstalk and dissimilar directional preferences along the dendrites that occur during whole-cell stimulation, the rules that guide BC kinetics leading to optimal DS are similar to the single-dendrite condition. To correlate model predictions to empirical findings, we utilized two-photon glutamate imaging to study the dynamics of bipolar release onto ON- and OFF-starburst dendrites in the murine retina. We reveal diverse presynaptic dynamics in response to motion in both BC populations; algorithms trained on the experimental data suggested that the differences in the temporal release kinetics are likely to correspond to heterogeneous receptive field properties among the different BC types, including the spatial extent of the center and surround components. In addition, we demonstrate that circuit architecture composed of presynaptic units with experimentally recorded dynamics could enhance directional drive but not to levels that replicate empirical findings, suggesting other DS mechanisms are required to explain SAC function. Our study provides new insights into the complex mechanisms underlying DS in retinal processing and highlights the potential contribution of presynaptic kinetics to the computation of visual information by SACs.