Receptive field estimation in large visual neuron assemblies using a super-resolution approach

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience
• Sensory Systems

Background:

• Spike-triggered average (STA) estimates linear receptive fields (RFs) in sensory neurons.
• Traditional white noise stimuli are suboptimal for evoking strong responses and limit RF resolution.
• High-resolution RF mapping is crucial for understanding neural population function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel super-resolution technique for improved RF estimation.
• To overcome limitations of classical white noise stimuli in RF mapping.
• To enhance the efficiency and resolution of RF measurements in large neural populations.

Main Methods:

• Developed a shifted white noise (SWN) stimulus by introducing random spatial shifts to white noise.
• Applied SWN stimulus in simulated data and in recordings from mouse retinal ganglion cells.
• Utilized large-scale multielectrode arrays for simultaneous recordings from numerous neurons.

Main Results:

• SWN stimulus reduced average error by 1.7 times compared to classical stimuli in simulations.
• Successfully mapped 2.3 times more neurons and covered a broader range of RF sizes with SWN.
• Achieved successful RF mapping with recordings as short as 1 minute, over 10 times more efficient than classical white noise.
• Mapped 21 times more RFs in mouse retinal ganglion cells using SWN compared to traditional white noise.

Conclusions:

• Randomly shifting white noise stimuli significantly improves RF estimation accuracy and resolution.
• The SWN method offers a faster and more efficient technique for mapping RFs in large, heterogeneous neural populations.
• This approach leverages super-resolution principles to increase the yield of RF mapping with STA.