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A Chimera Model for Motion Anticipation in the Retina and the Primary Visual Cortex
Jérôme Emonet1, Selma Souihel2, Frédéric Chavane3
1Biovision Team and Neuromod, Inria, Institute Sophia Antipolis, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice 06000, France jerome.emonet@inria.fr.
Neural Computation
|September 22, 2025
Summary
This study models the primary visual cortex (V1) and retina to understand motion anticipation. Combining retinal and cortical mechanisms allows V1 to predict moving objects, overcoming visual processing delays.
Area of Science:
- Computational neuroscience
- Visual processing
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The primary visual cortex (V1) plays a crucial role in visual perception.
- Understanding how the retina influences cortical processing, particularly motion anticipation, is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of retinal input on motion anticipation in a model of the primary visual cortex (V1).
- To explore how retinal and cortical mechanisms interact to achieve anticipatory visual processing.
Main Methods:
- Developed a mean-field model of V1 connected to a realistic retina model.
- Simulated scenarios with and without retinal anticipation mechanisms.
- Analyzed the effects of retinal input amplitude, stimulus features (speed, contrast), and cortical parameters on anticipation.
Main Results:
- Cortical anticipation, driven by latency, is influenced by retinal input amplitude, stimulus features, and cortical network properties.
- Retina-driven mechanisms (gain control, lateral inhibition) modulate the cortical anticipation wave.
- Combined retinal and cortical anticipation enables V1 to respond ahead of moving stimuli, compensating for processing delays.
Conclusions:
- The retina significantly impacts motion anticipation in V1.
- Integrated retinal and cortical anticipatory mechanisms lead to efficient visual processing and prediction of moving objects.
- This model provides insights into how the visual system overcomes inherent processing delays.
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