Neural Coding of Complex 3D Shapes

描述(申请人提供)：我们的世界是由3D对象组成的，与那个世界的成功互动取决于对3D对象信息的神经处理。这就是为什么视力对我们的健康、幸福和生存如此重要。我们的长期目标是了解复杂的3D物体信息是如何在感知、记忆和认知中处理的。在神经层面上了解这些问题将影响临床治疗视觉失认症、自闭症等神经疾病的视觉处理改变以及阿尔茨海默病等神经疾病的记忆和决策功能改变的方法。我们最近开发了一种新的自适应采样策略，用于神经记录实验，其中对象形状响应的测试基于神经反馈逐渐适应。这种高效的采样策略使我们能够测量由神经元发出信号的特定对象信息，这是以前的实验策略所不可能做到的。我们现在计划利用这种方法来研究3D物体感知、记忆和认知的神经基础，方法是测量执行视觉记忆和辨别任务的猴子的颞下视皮层(IT)、记忆相关的周边和内嗅觉皮质(PR和ER)以及决策相关的背外侧前额叶皮质(PFC)的神经反应。这些区域是人类大脑中高级目标视觉、记忆和决策区域的同源；只有猴子才能在神经编码水平上对它们进行研究。我们实验的独特之处在于使用自适应采样来识别由单个神经反应发出信号的特定信息，这是该领域以前的研究中缺失的一个关键元素。我们将使用这种方法来解决三个具体的问题：(1)感知：3D对象是否以其中轴形状来表示？这是一个关于大脑中物体表征的由来已久的理论，从未被直接测试过。(2)记忆：IT中3D视点与PR/ER之间的记忆关联是如何形成的？关联同一对象的不同视图是视觉计算中最困难的方面。我们将对流行的理论进行第一次直接测试，该理论认为，视点联想是通过在自然视觉中接触旋转的物体来学习的。(3)认知：IT和PFC中的3D形状信息与行为决策有何关系？3D物体感知的最终用途是它在指导决策和行为方面的使用。我们的实验将首次尝试显示复杂3D形状的神经编码如何与对象辨别行为相关。 与公共健康相关：我们的长期目标是了解复杂的3D物体信息是如何在感知、记忆和认知中处理的。在神经层面上了解这些问题将影响临床治疗视觉失认症、自闭症等神经疾病的视觉处理改变以及阿尔茨海默病等神经疾病的记忆和决策功能改变的方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our world is composed of 3D objects, and successful interaction with that world depends on neural processing of 3D object information. This is what makes vision so critical to our health, happiness and survival. Our long- term goal is to understand how complex 3D object information is processed in perception, memory, and cognition. Understanding these issues at a neural level will impact clinical approaches to visual agnosias, altered visual processing in neurological conditions like autism, and altered memory and decision functions in neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease. We recently developed a novel adaptive sampling strategy for neural recording experiments, in which tests of object shape responses gradually adapt based on neural feedback. This highly efficient sampling strategy allows us to measure the specific object information signaled by neurons, which was not possible with previous experimental strategies. We now plan to leverage this approach to investigate the neural basis of 3D object perception, memory, and cognition, by measuring neural responses in inferotemporal visual cortex (IT), memory-related perirhinal and entorhinal cortex (PR and ER), and decision-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) of monkeys performing visual memory and discrimination tasks. These areas are the homologues of high-level object vision, memory, and decision areas in the human brain; only in monkeys can they be studied at the neural coding level. The unique aspect of our experiments is the use of adaptive sampling to identify the specific information signaled by individual neural responses, a critical element missing from previous research in this area. We will use this approach to address three specific questions: (1) Perception: Are 3D objects represented in terms of their medial axis shapes? This is a long-standing theory about object representation in the brain that has never been directly tested. (2) Memory: How are memory associations between 3D viewpoints formed in IT and PR/ER? Associating different views of the same object is the most computationally difficult aspect of vision. We will perform the first direct test of the prevailing theory that viewpoint association is learned through exposure to rotating objects during natural vision. (3) Cognition: How does 3D shape information in IT and PFC relate to behavioral decisions? The ultimate utility of 3D object perception is its use in guiding decision and behavior. Our experiment will be the first attempt to show how neural coding of complex 3D shape is related to object discrimination behavior. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Our long-term goal is to understand how complex 3D object information is processed in perception, memory, and cognition. Understanding these issues at a neural level will impact clinical approaches to visual agnosias, altered visual processing in neurological conditions like autism, and altered memory and decision functions in neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease.