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Aboutorabi E, Baloni Ray S, Kaping D, Shahbazi F, Treue S, Esghaei M. Phase of neural oscillations as a reference frame for attention-based routing in visual cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 233:102563. [PMID: 38142770 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Selective attention allows the brain to efficiently process the image projected onto the retina, selectively focusing neural processing resources on behaviorally relevant visual information. While previous studies have documented the crucial role of the action potential rate of single neurons in relaying such information, little is known about how the activity of single neurons relative to their neighboring network contributes to the efficient representation of attended stimuli and transmission of this information to downstream areas. Here, we show in the dorsal visual pathway of monkeys (medial superior temporal area) that neurons fire spikes preferentially at a specific phase of the ongoing population beta (∼20 Hz) oscillations of the surrounding local network. This preferred spiking phase shifts towards a later phase when monkeys selectively attend towards (rather than away from) the receptive field of the neuron. This shift of the locking phase is positively correlated with the speed at which animals report a visual change. Furthermore, our computational modeling suggests that neural networks can manipulate the preferred phase of coupling by imposing differential synaptic delays on postsynaptic potentials. This distinction between the locking phase of neurons activated by the spatially attended stimulus vs. that of neurons activated by the unattended stimulus, may enable the neural system to discriminate relevant from irrelevant sensory inputs and consequently filter out distracting stimuli information by aligning the spikes which convey relevant/irrelevant information to distinct phases linked to periods of better/worse perceptual sensitivity for higher cortices. This strategy may be used to reserve the narrow windows of highest perceptual efficacy to the processing of the most behaviorally relevant information, ensuring highly efficient responses to attended sensory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Aboutorabi
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonia Baloni Ray
- Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Daniel Kaping
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Farhad Shahbazi
- Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany; Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Moein Esghaei
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany; Westa Higher Education Center, Karaj, Iran.
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Hüer J, Saxena P, Treue S. Pathway-selective optogenetics reveals the functional anatomy of top-down attentional modulation in the macaque visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2304511121. [PMID: 38194453 PMCID: PMC10801865 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304511121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial attention represents a powerful top-down influence on sensory responses in primate visual cortical areas. The frontal eye field (FEF) has emerged as a key candidate area for the source of this modulation. However, it is unclear whether the FEF exerts its effects via its direct axonal projections to visual areas or indirectly through other brain areas and whether the FEF affects both the enhancement of attended and the suppression of unattended sensory responses. We used pathway-selective optogenetics in rhesus macaques performing a spatial attention task to inhibit the direct input from the FEF to area MT, an area along the dorsal visual pathway specialized for the processing of visual motion information. Our results show that the optogenetic inhibition of the FEF input specifically reduces attentional modulation in MT by about a third without affecting the neurons' sensory response component. We find that the direct FEF-to-MT pathway contributes to both the enhanced processing of target stimuli and the suppression of distractors. The FEF, thus, selectively modulates firing rates in visual area MT, and it does so via its direct axonal projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Hüer
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt60528, Germany
| | - Pankhuri Saxena
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen37073, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen37077, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen37073, Germany
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Vafaii H, Yates JL, Butts DA. Hierarchical VAEs provide a normative account of motion processing in the primate brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.27.559646. [PMID: 37808629 PMCID: PMC10557690 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.27.559646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between perception and inference, as postulated by Helmholtz in the 19th century, is paralleled in modern machine learning by generative models like Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and their hierarchical variants. Here, we evaluate the role of hierarchical inference and its alignment with brain function in the domain of motion perception. We first introduce a novel synthetic data framework, Retinal Optic Flow Learning (ROFL), which enables control over motion statistics and their causes. We then present a new hierarchical VAE and test it against alternative models on two downstream tasks: (i) predicting ground truth causes of retinal optic flow (e.g., self-motion); and (ii) predicting the responses of neurons in the motion processing pathway of primates. We manipulate the model architectures (hierarchical versus non-hierarchical), loss functions, and the causal structure of the motion stimuli. We find that hierarchical latent structure in the model leads to several improvements. First, it improves the linear decodability of ground truth factors and does so in a sparse and disentangled manner. Second, our hierarchical VAE outperforms previous state-of-the-art models in predicting neuronal responses and exhibits sparse latent-to-neuron relationships. These results depend on the causal structure of the world, indicating that alignment between brains and artificial neural networks depends not only on architecture but also on matching ecologically relevant stimulus statistics. Taken together, our results suggest that hierarchical Bayesian inference underlines the brain's understanding of the world, and hierarchical VAEs can effectively model this understanding.
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Horrocks EAB, Mareschal I, Saleem AB. Walking humans and running mice: perception and neural encoding of optic flow during self-motion. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210450. [PMID: 36511417 PMCID: PMC9745880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion produces full-field optic flow that often dominates the visual motion inputs to an observer. The perception of optic flow is in turn important for animals to guide their heading and interact with moving objects. Understanding how locomotion influences optic flow processing and perception is therefore essential to understand how animals successfully interact with their environment. Here, we review research investigating how perception and neural encoding of optic flow are altered during self-motion, focusing on locomotion. Self-motion has been found to influence estimation and sensitivity for optic flow speed and direction. Nonvisual self-motion signals also increase compensation for self-driven optic flow when parsing the visual motion of moving objects. The integration of visual and nonvisual self-motion signals largely follows principles of Bayesian inference and can improve the precision and accuracy of self-motion perception. The calibration of visual and nonvisual self-motion signals is dynamic, reflecting the changing visuomotor contingencies across different environmental contexts. Throughout this review, we consider experimental research using humans, non-human primates and mice. We highlight experimental challenges and opportunities afforded by each of these species and draw parallels between experimental findings. These findings reveal a profound influence of locomotion on optic flow processing and perception across species. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New approaches to 3D vision'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A. B. Horrocks
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Isabelle Mareschal
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Aman B. Saleem
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
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Alterations in Corticocortical Vestibular Network Functional Connectivity Are Associated with Decreased Balance Ability in Elderly Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Brain Sci 2022; 13:brainsci13010063. [PMID: 36672045 PMCID: PMC9856347 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticocortical vestibular network (CVN) plays an important role in maintaining balance and stability. In order to clarify the specific relationship between the CVN and the balance ability of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), we recruited 30 MCI patients in the community. According to age and sex, they were 1:1 matched to 30 older adults with normal cognitive function. We evaluated balance ability and performed MRI scanning in the two groups of participants. We analyzed functional connectivity within the CVN based on the region of interest. Then, we performed a Pearson correlation analysis between the functional connection and the Berg Balance Scale scores. The research results show that compared with the control group, there were three pairs of functional connections (hMST_R−Premotor_R, PFcm_R−SMA_L, and hMST_L−VIP_R) that were significantly decreased in the CVNs of the MCI group (p < 0.05). Further correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between hMST_R−Premotor_R functional connectivity and BBS score (r = 0.364, p = 0.004). The decline in balance ability and increase in fall risk in patients with MCI may be closely related to the change in the internal connection mode of the corticocortical vestibular network.
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Lin C, Qiao Y, Pan Y. Bio-inspired interactive feedback neural networks for edge detection. APPL INTELL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10489-022-04316-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Rolls ET, Deco G, Huang CC, Feng J. Multiple cortical visual streams in humans. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:3319-3349. [PMID: 35834308 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The effective connectivity between 55 visual cortical regions and 360 cortical regions was measured in 171 HCP participants using the HCP-MMP atlas, and complemented with functional connectivity and diffusion tractography. A Ventrolateral Visual "What" Stream for object and face recognition projects hierarchically to the inferior temporal visual cortex, which projects to the orbitofrontal cortex for reward value and emotion, and to the hippocampal memory system. A Ventromedial Visual "Where" Stream for scene representations connects to the parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus. An Inferior STS (superior temporal sulcus) cortex Semantic Stream receives from the Ventrolateral Visual Stream, from visual inferior parietal PGi, and from the ventromedial-prefrontal reward system and connects to language systems. A Dorsal Visual Stream connects via V2 and V3A to MT+ Complex regions (including MT and MST), which connect to intraparietal regions (including LIP, VIP and MIP) involved in visual motion and actions in space. It performs coordinate transforms for idiothetic update of Ventromedial Stream scene representations. A Superior STS cortex Semantic Stream receives visual inputs from the Inferior STS Visual Stream, PGi, and STV, and auditory inputs from A5, is activated by face expression, motion and vocalization, and is important in social behaviour, and connects to language systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200403, China
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, Barcelona 08018, Spain.,Brain and Cognition, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona 08018, Spain.,Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Chu-Chung Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200602, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai 200602, China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200403, China
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Ali MA, Bollmann JH. Motion vision: Course control in the developing visual system. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R520-R523. [PMID: 35671725 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
As we move around, the image pattern on our retina is constantly changing. Nervous systems have evolved to detect such global 'optic flow' patterns. A new study reveals how optic flow is encoded in the larval zebrafish brain and could be used for the estimation of self-motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mir Ahsan Ali
- Institute of Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Johann H Bollmann
- Institute of Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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Electrophysiological dataset from macaque visual cortical area MST in response to a novel motion stimulus. Sci Data 2022; 9:182. [PMID: 35440786 PMCID: PMC9019011 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing the cortical neural representation of visual stimuli is a central challenge of systems neuroscience. Publicly available data would allow a broad range of scientific analyses and hypothesis testing, but are rare and largely focused on the early visual system. To address the shortage of open data from higher visual areas, we provide a comprehensive dataset from a neurophysiology study in macaque monkey visual cortex that includes a complete record of extracellular action potential recordings from the extrastriate medial superior temporal (MST) area, behavioral data, and detailed stimulus records. It includes spiking activity of 172 single neurons recorded in 139 sessions from 4 hemispheres of 3 rhesus macaque monkeys. The data was collected across 3 experiments, designed to characterize the response properties of MST neurons to complex motion stimuli. This data can be used to elucidate visual information processing at the level of single neurons in a high-level area of primate visual cortex. Providing open access to this dataset also promotes the 3R-principle of responsible animal research. Measurement(s) | spike train • eye movement measurement | Technology Type(s) | single-unit recording • eye tracking device | Factor Type(s) | direction, location, and speed of moving random dot patterns | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Macaca mulatta | Sample Characteristic - Environment | laboratory environment | Sample Characteristic - Location | Germany |
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Awada A, Bakhtiari S, Legault C, Odier C, Pack CC. Training with optic flow stimuli promotes recovery in cortical blindness. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2022; 40:1-16. [PMID: 35213337 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-211223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortical blindness is a form of severe vision loss that is caused by damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) or its afferents. This condition has devastating effects on quality of life and independence. While there are few treatments currently available, accumulating evidence shows that certain visual functions can be restored with appropriate perceptual training: Stimulus sensitivity can be increased within portions of the blind visual field. However, this increased sensitivity often remains highly specific to the trained stimulus, limiting the overall improvement in visual function. OBJECTIVE Recent advances in the field of perceptual learning show that such specificity can be overcome with training paradigms that leverage the properties of higher-level visual cortical structures, which have greater capacity to generalize across stimulus positions and features. This targeting can be accomplished by using more complex training stimuli that elicit robust responses in these visual structures. METHODS We trained cortically blind subjects with a complex optic flow motion stimulus that was presented in a location of their blind field. Participants were instructed to train with the stimulus at home for approximately 30 minutes per day. Once performance plateaued, the stimulus was moved deeper into the blind field. A battery of pre- and post-training measures, with careful eye tracking, was performed to quantify the improvements. RESULTS We show that 1) optic flow motion discrimination can be relearned in cortically blind fields; 2) training with an optic flow stimulus can lead to improvements that transfer to different tasks and untrained locations; and 3) such training leads to a significant expansion of the visual field. The observed expansion of the visual field was present even when eye movements were carefully controlled. Finally, we show that regular training is critical for improved visual function, as sporadic training reduced the benefits of training, even when the total numbers of training sessions were equated. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that complex training stimuli can improve outcomes in cortical blindness, provided that patients adhere to a regular training regimen. Nevertheless, such interventions remain limited in their ability to restore functional vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmara Awada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shahab Bakhtiari
- Department of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Catherine Legault
- McGill University Health Center (MUHC), Montreal, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Celine Odier
- Neurovascular Health Program, Department of Medicine (Neurology), Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Christopher C Pack
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Wild B, Treue S. Comparing the influence of stimulus size and contrast on the perception of moving gratings and random dot patterns-A registered report protocol. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253067. [PMID: 34153081 PMCID: PMC8216547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern accounts of visual motion processing in the primate brain emphasize a hierarchy of different regions within the dorsal visual pathway, especially primary visual cortex (V1) and the middle temporal area (MT). However, recent studies have called the idea of a processing pipeline with fixed contributions to motion perception from each area into doubt. Instead, the role that each area plays appears to depend on properties of the stimulus as well as perceptual history. We propose to test this hypothesis in human subjects by comparing motion perception of two commonly used stimulus types: drifting sinusoidal gratings (DSGs) and random dot patterns (RDPs). To avoid potential biases in our approach we are pre-registering our study. We will compare the effects of size and contrast levels on the perception of the direction of motion for DSGs and RDPs. In addition, based on intriguing results in a pilot study, we will also explore the effects of a post-stimulus mask. Our approach will offer valuable insights into how motion is processed by the visual system and guide further behavioral and neurophysiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Wild
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Goettingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB), University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany
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