Work

Perceptual stability reflected in neuronal pattern similarities in human visual cortex

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: The magnitude of neuronal activation is commonly considered a critical factor for conscious perception of visual content. However, this dogma contrasts with the phenomenon of rapid adaptation, in which the magnitude of neuronal activation drops dramatically in a rapid manner while the visual stimulus and the conscious experience it elicits remain stable. Here, we report that the profiles of multi-site activation patterns and their relational geometry-i.e., the similarity distances between activation patterns, as revealed using intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings-are sustained during extended visual stimulation despite the major magnitude decrease. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that conscious perceptual content is associated with the neuronal pattern profiles and their similarity distances, rather than the overall activation magnitude, in human visual cortex.

Source: Cell Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112614

Authors: Rotem Broday-Dvir, Yitzhak Norman, Michal Harel, Ashesh D. Mehta, Rafael Malach

Institutions: Weizmann Institute of Science, University of California, San Francisco, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hofstra University, Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Language: English

Topic: Visual perception and processing mechanisms

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,460

Funder: Canadian Institute for Advanced Research