Divisively normalized neuronal processing of uncertain visual feedback for visuomotor learning

When encountering a visual error during a reaching movement, the motor system improves the motor command for the subsequent trial. This improvement is impaired by visual error uncertainty, which is considered evidence that the motor system optimally estimates the error. However, how such statistical computation is accomplished remains unclear. Here, we propose an alternative scheme implemented with a divisive normalization (DN): the responses of neuronal elements are normalized by the summed activity of the population. This scheme assumes that when an uncertain visual error is provided by multiple cursors, the motor system processes the error conveyed by each cursor and integrates the information using DN. The DN model reproduced the patterns of learning response to 1-3 cursor errors and the impairment of learning response with visual error uncertainty. This study provides a new perspective on how the motor system updates motor commands according to uncertain visual error information.