Encoding of continuous perceptual choices in human early visual cortex.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Perceptual decision-making research often uses simple, discrete choices.
• Previous studies suggested choices are encoded in motor or abstract formats beyond sensory cortex.
• The neural basis for decisions on continuous sensory features remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the brain encodes choices for continuous sensory features (0-360° motion).
• To determine if choice encoding occurs in sensory or higher-order brain regions.
• To compare encoding of continuous stimuli versus continuous choices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized motion stimuli varying across a full 360° range.
• Employed neuroimaging techniques combined with Gaussian process regression encoding models.
• Analyzed single-voxel tuning patterns to reconstruct stimulus direction and participant choices.

Main Results:

• Continuous choice signals were successfully reconstructed from early visual areas.
• Tuning properties in visual cortex generalized between stimulus and choice encoding, even during guessing.
• Limited decision-related information was found in non-visual areas like the parietal cortex.

Conclusions:

• Decisions for continuous stimuli can be encoded within early sensory brain regions.
• This challenges previous models suggesting abstract or motor-based encoding beyond sensory cortex.
• Sensory regions may utilize mechanisms similar to visual working memory for continuous decision-making.