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Multisensory task demands temporally extend the causal requirement for visual cortex in perception
Matthijs N Oude Lohuis1,2, Jean L Pie1,2,3, Pietro Marchesi1,2
1Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nature Communications
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Primary visual cortex (V1) is crucial for decision-making, especially when task demands increase. Late inactivation of V1 impairs detection by disrupting report-related activity, highlighting its role in complex sensory processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Primary sensory areas are key in decision-making.
- Their role as feedforward processors versus recurrent network components is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal involvement of primary visual cortex (V1) in perceptual decision-making.
- To determine how task demands influence V1's role.
Main Methods:
- Optogenetic inactivation of V1 at different time points.
- Monitoring visual stimulus detection under varying task demands (single vs. dual sensory modality).
Main Results:
- Late V1 inactivation impaired stimulus detection, particularly when task demands were high.
- Early stimulus-evoked responses in V1 were preserved but insufficient for detection alone.
- Inactivation's effect correlated with reaction times, suggesting involvement in a late, report-related phase.
Conclusions:
- Multisensory task demands extend the temporal window for V1's involvement in perception.
- Ongoing V1 activity is necessary for decision-making beyond initial stimulus encoding.
- V1 participates in a recurrent network, especially under increased cognitive load.
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