Grant Number: 5R01EY016454-03
Project Title: Linking neural population activity and visual
perception
PI Information: EYAL J. SEIDEMANN,
eyal@mail.cps.utexas.edu
Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall
goal of the proposed research is to provide quantitative understanding
of the relationship between neural activity in the primate visual cortex
(V1) and behavioral performance in pattern detection tasks. To achieve
this goal, monkeys will be trained to perform a demanding visual
detection task. While the monkey performs this task, we will use optical
imaging with voltage sensitive dyes in conjunction with
electrophysiology, to monitor neural population activity in V1. Detailed
understanding of the relationship between neural responses in V1 and
behavioral performance in this task necessitates explanations of the
relationships between three sets of variables: the visual stimuli,
neural responses in V1, and the subject's psychophysical performance on
the detection task. Our first two aims focus on two fundamental causal
relationships between these three variables. In Aim #1 our goal is to
determine how visual information regarding the target and the background
is represented by populations of V1 neurons. We will address three
primary questions: (i) what is the quality of the signals that are
provided by V1 to the rest of the visual system, (ii) how is this
information distributed in V1, and (iii) what is the optimal way to
extract this information from V1? To form a decision regarding the
presence or absence of the target, neural circuits subsequent to V1 must
'read out' and interpret the neural signals provided by populations of
V1 neurons. Our goal in Aim #2 is to determine which neurons in V1
contribute to the perceptual decision regarding the presence of the
target, and how their signals might be pooled to form this decision.
Finally, these two fundamental relationships - the encoding of visual
information by V1 neurons, and the decoding of V1 responses by
subsequent processing stages - may change, depending on the behavioral
task. In Aim #3, we propose to vary the task by changing target
uncertainty. We will examine the effects of target uncertainty on both
behavioral responses and neural responses in V1.
Public Health Relevance:
This Public Health Relevance is not available.
Thesaurus Terms:
form /pattern perception, neural transmission, visual cortex, visual
perception psychophysics, sensory signal detection, stimulus /response,
training, visual stimulus Macaca mulatta, behavior test, behavioral
/social science research tag, dye, electrophysiology, optics, vision
test
Institution: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN
PO BOX 7726
AUSTIN, TX 78713
Fiscal Year: 2007
Department: PSYCHOLOGY
Project Start: 01-MAY-2005
Project End: 30-APR-2010
ICD: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
IRG: CVP
J Neurosci. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008
January 14.
Published in final edited form as: J Neurosci. 2007 July 25; 27(30):
8122–8137.
doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1940-07.2007. PMCID: PMC2198904
NIHMSID: NIHMS36345 Copyright notice and Disclaimer
Linking Neuronal and Behavioral Performance in a
Reaction-Time Visual Detection Task
Chris Palmer, Shao-Ying Cheng, and Eyal Seidemann
Department of Psychology and Center for Perceptual
Systems, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Eyal Seidemann, Department of
Psychology and Center for Perceptual Systems, The University of Texas at
Austin, 108 East Dean Keeton, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, TX
78712-0187. E-mail:
eyal@mail.cps.utexas.edu
Subjects and surgery
Three monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were used in this study. Monkeys
underwent two surgical procedures. In the first procedure, a
head-restraining device was implanted, and two custom-designed recording
chambers were positioned over the skull above V1 in both hemispheres.
After a recovery period, the animal went through an extensive period of
training on the visual detection task. Animals were trained using
standard operant conditioning techniques in which water and juice were
used as positive rewards. During training and recording sessions (2–5 h
long), each animal was seated comfortably in a primate chair with its
head restrained. Once the animal reached a stable level of performance
on the task, a second surgery was performed to prepare the monkey for
optical and electrophysiological recordings. In this surgery, a cranial
window was opened, and the dura was resected and replaced by a
transparent artificial dura (Arieli et al., 2002). Within several weeks
after this surgical procedure, the animal’s dura healed and formed a
tight seal around a silicone ring extending out from the artificial dura,
leaving a central region clear for optical and electrophysiological
recordings. The chamber was covered by a transparent plastic cover with
a small hole plugged by a rubber gasket |
