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Updated: May 23, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
Relative luminance and binocular disparity preferences are correlated in macaque primary visual cortex, matching
Jason M Samonds1, Brian R Potetz, Tai Sing Lee
1Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition and Computer Science Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. samondjm@cnbc.cmu.edu
Abstract:
Humans excel at inferring information about 3D scenes from their 2D images projected on the retinas, using a wide range of depth cues. One example of such inference is the tendency for observers to perceive lighter image regions as closer. This psychophysical behavior could have an ecological basis because nearer regions tend to be lighter in natural 3D scenes. Here, we show that an analogous association exists between the relative luminance and binocular disparity preferences of neurons in macaque primary visual cortex. The joint coding of relative luminance and binocular disparity at the neuronal population level may be an integral part of the neural mechanisms for perceptual inference of depth from images.
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