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Sequential experience reshapes population representations in visual cortex
Lily E Kramer1, Marlene R Cohen1
1University of Chicago.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|March 27, 2026
Summary
Repeated visual experience shapes neural activity geometry in the brain. This reorganization makes temporal information more accessible and improves the representation of task-relevant variables.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Visual experience is inherently temporal, unfolding in predictable sequences during daily routines.
- While reduced firing rates indicate repetition, they don't fully explain how neural populations represent temporal relationships.
- Population activity geometry offers deeper insights into visual information structure and readout.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how experience with temporal structure alters the geometry of population activity in visual area V4.
- To understand how different levels of temporal structure and behavioral relevance impact neural representations.
Main Methods:
- Recorded neuronal populations in visual area V4 across three distinct contexts.
- Contexts included: single image repetition, passive structured sequence viewing, and active self-guided action sequences for reward.
- Analyzed changes in population activity geometry in response to experience.
Main Results:
- Experience consistently constrained population responses towards a typical activity pattern across all contexts.
- In sequence-based contexts, temporal position became more linearly represented.
- Active practice with sequences enhanced the separability of task-relevant variables.
Conclusions:
- Experience reorganizes the geometry of visual population activity to encode temporal structure.
- Neural population activity geometry is dynamically shaped by experience to reflect temporal relationships.
- This study highlights how the brain adapts neural representations for efficient processing of sequential visual information.
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