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Related Experiment Videos

Mexican hats and pinwheels in visual cortex.

Kukjin Kang1, Michael Shelley, Haim Sompolinsky

  • 1Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA. kkj@cns.nyu.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|February 26, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Cortical circuits can achieve Mexican-hat function with fast inhibition, even with isotropic connections. This sharp orientation tuning in the primary visual cortex is independent of pinwheel center distance.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Visual Cortex Function

Background:

  • Cortical models often assume specific Mexican-hat lateral connections.
  • Anatomical data show primary visual cortex connections are isotropic with shorter-range inhibition than excitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate how isotropic connections can achieve Mexican-hat function in the primary visual cortex.
  • Analyze the interplay between inhibition range and time constant in neuronal network models.

Main Methods:

  • Analytical study of a neuronal network model of the local cortical circuit.
  • Incorporated orientation columns in a pinwheel architecture with isotropic cortical connections.

Main Results:

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  • A trade-off exists between the spatial range and time constant of inhibition.
  • Fast inhibition enables Mexican-hat operation with isotropic connections and narrow inhibition.
  • Slow inhibition requires spatially broad inhibition for Mexican-hat operation.

    • Conclusions:

    • Cortical networks can achieve Mexican-hat operation and sharp orientation tuning with isotropic connections.
    • The temporal dynamics of inhibition are crucial for achieving specific network functions.
    • Orientation tuning remains robust regardless of distance from the pinwheel center.