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Untangling perceptual memory: hysteresis and adaptation map into separate cortical networks
Caspar M Schwiedrzik1, Christian C Ruff, Andreea Lazar
1Department of Neurophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|December 14, 2012
Summary
Previous experience influences perception through two opposing effects: hysteresis (attraction) and adaptation (repulsion). These distinct neural processes help the brain balance stability and novelty detection.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Perception integrates prior knowledge with sensory input.
- Previous experience shapes perception, but its opposing effects (hysteresis and adaptation) are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying hysteresis and adaptation in perception.
- To determine the factors influencing the direction of experience-dependent perceptual effects.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe brain activity.
- Bayesian modeling to differentiate the computational roles of hysteresis and adaptation.
Main Results:
- Hysteresis and adaptation involve distinct cortical networks.
- Perceptual stabilization (hysteresis) engages higher-order visual and fronto-parietal areas.
- Adaptation is localized to early visual areas.
Conclusions:
- Areal and hierarchical segregation explains the balance between exploiting redundancy and sensitivity to new information.
- The Bayesian model separates hysteresis (altering priors) from adaptation (changing sensory evidence).
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