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Interneuronal correlations at longer time scales predict decision signals for bistable structure-from-motion
D F Wasmuht1,2, A J Parker3, K Krug4,5
1Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, United Kingdom. dante.wasmuht@sjc.ox.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|August 9, 2019
Summary
Neural firing correlations, especially at longer timescales, influence perceptual decisions about 3D motion. Enhanced correlations stabilize visual perception, suggesting top-down control in the brain's motion processing area.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Perceptual decisions are linked to the synchronized activity of task-relevant neurons.
- Understanding the temporal dynamics of neuronal firing variability is crucial for explaining choice formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the temporal structure of neuronal firing correlations and perceptual choices.
- To explore how interneuronal correlations in visual area V5/MT relate to decisions about 3D motion direction.
Main Methods:
- Recorded stimulus-selective neurons in visual area V5/MT of two monkeys performing a structure-from-motion cylinder direction discrimination task.
- Analyzed interneuronal correlations, focusing on their temporal structure and relationship with choice probability (CP).
Main Results:
- Interneuronal correlations were significantly higher for perceptually ambiguous stimuli compared to unambiguous stimuli or random motion.
- This increase in correlation was primarily driven by activity at longer timescales (hundreds of milliseconds).
- Choice probability (CP) was positively correlated with these long-timescale interneuronal correlations, particularly near the decision point.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced interneuronal correlations on longer timescales may control the perceptual stability of 3D motion percepts.
- These findings suggest a potential signature of top-down influences modulating visual processing in area V5/MT.
- This mechanism could stabilize the appearance of complex 3D motion percepts.
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