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A channel for 3D environmental shape in anterior inferotemporal cortex
Siavash Vaziri1, Eric T Carlson1, Zhihong Wang2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Neuron
|September 23, 2014
Summary
The inferotemporal cortex (IT) processes vision through distinct channels. Ventral superior temporal sulcus (STSv) neurons favor objects, while inferotemporal gyrus (TEd) neurons respond more to 3D environments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
- Cortical Processing
Background:
- The inferotemporal cortex (IT) has traditionally been viewed as a unified pathway for object vision.
- Recent connectivity analyses reveal distinct anatomical channels within the IT: the ventral superior temporal sulcus (STSv) and the dorsal/ventral inferotemporal gyrus (TEd, TEv).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional specialization of distinct anatomical channels within the anterior inferotemporal cortex (IT).
- To determine if different IT channels process object versus environmental visual information.
Main Methods:
- Recorded from individual IT neurons in monkeys presented with stereoscopic 3D images.
- Utilized adaptive stimuli to probe neural tuning for 3D abstract shapes, varying in scale and topology from bounded objects to unbounded environments.
Main Results:
- Neurons in the ventral superior temporal sulcus (STSv) channel were predominantly responsive to object stimuli.
- Neurons in the dorsal/ventral inferotemporal gyrus (TEd) channel showed a surprising preference for environmental stimuli.
- This contrasts with previous findings localizing environmental information to posterior cortical areas.
Conclusions:
- The anterior inferotemporal cortex (IT) contains functionally distinct channels for processing object and environmental visual information.
- The TEd channel plays a significant role in processing 3D environmental shape, extending beyond posterior cortical regions.
- Extensive cross-connections between STSv and TEd suggest a mechanism for integrating object and environmental visual information within the anterior IT.
