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Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
Microcircuits for hierarchical elaboration of object coding across primate temporal areas.
Toshiyuki Hirabayashi1, Daigo Takeuchi, Keita Tamura
1Department of Physiology, The University of Tokyo School of Medicine, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 13, 2013
Summary
Object representations in the primate brain emerge hierarchically. Novel object features are first represented as prototypes in earlier areas before becoming prevalent in later visual processing areas.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Neuronal object representations in primates are processed hierarchically within the occipitotemporal cortex.
- The emergence and prevalence of novel object features are thought to arise from processing within specific cortical areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if feature representations prevalent in a higher-tier cortical area originate as prototypes in a hierarchically prior area.
- To understand the microcircuit mechanisms underlying the sequential elaboration of object representations.
Main Methods:
- Recorded multi-unit activity in hierarchically sequential areas TE and 36 of the macaque temporal cortex.
- Analyzed microcircuit activity to identify patterns of object-object association and associative coding.
Main Results:
- Identified a convergent microcircuit for object-object association in the hierarchically earlier area TE, as predicted.
- Observed the buildup of associative codes over time within the microcircuit of the hierarchically later area 36.
Conclusions:
- Object representations are sequentially elaborated through hierarchical processing in the primate visual system.
- Findings suggest a computational principle where early-stage prototypes facilitate the development of complex representations in later stages.
