Primary Visual Cortex: Sensitivity to Continuity and Discontinuity in Patterns

这个项目是关于猕猴初级视觉皮层V1的皮层细胞和细胞群的电活动——作为人类视觉皮层的动物模型。研究人员将研究细胞和细胞群体对空间中连续或不连续的视觉图像的反应。有初步证据表明，许多V1细胞对图像不连续性的反应比对连续轮廓的反应更大。本实验利用多微电极记录技术，将更精确地研究V1对图像不连续的灵敏度。例如，一项实验将测量视觉图像中空间间隙对皮层活动的影响。该实验的结果将定义V1网络需要多少空间分离才能将其视为空间不连续。众所周知，局部图像特征，如线尾和尖角，对人类物体识别和形式感知很重要。本项目旨在促进对V1皮层感知功能的科学认识。同时，本课题的实验结果将有助于建立真实的V1皮层计算模型，以及一般的大脑皮层模型。这也将产生更广泛的影响。该项目包括培训一名博士后和研究生，以便他们将来在神经科学方面进行研究。此外，研究人员将使该项目的多电极记录数据可供其他神经科学家和理论家使用。此外，本科生和高中生将在研究人员的实验室进行轮换项目，并将作为该项目的一部分接受培训。

This project is about the electrical activity of cortical cells and cell populations in the macaque monkey's primary visual cortex, V1--as an animal model of human visual cortex. The investigators will study the cells' responses and cell population responses to visual images that are either continuous, or discontinuous in space. There is preliminary evidence that many V1 cells respond more to image discontinuity than to continuous contours. The proposed experiments, utilizing the technique of multi-microelectrode recording, will investigate more precisely the sensitivity of V1 to image-discontinuities. For instance, one experiment will measure the effect of spatial gaps in a visual image on cortical activity. The results of this experiment will define how much spatial separation is necessary for the V1 network to perceive it as a spatial discontinuity. It is known that local image features, like line endings and sharp corners, are important for human object recognition and form perception. The proposed project aims to advance scientific understanding of the function of V1 cortex in perception. Also, the experimental results of this project will be useful for realistic computational models of V1 cortex, and models of cerebral cortex generally.There will also be a broader impact. The project involves training of a postdoctoral fellow and also graduate students for their own future research in neuroscience. Also, the investigators will make the project's multi-electrode recording data available for use by other neuroscientists and by theorists. Furthermore, undergraduate and high school students will perform rotation projects in the investigators' laboratory and will receive training as part of this project.