Modality-independent representations of object shape in macaque inferotemporal cortex

项目摘要 准确的形状感知对于识别和操纵我们环境中的物体至关重要。在我们 感官、视觉和触觉的独特之处在于它们都传达几何形状。虽然触觉和视觉 感官输入最初是沿着沿着不同的感官路径处理的，我们将物体的形状体验为 统一的模态独立的概念大脑如何产生独立于模态的表征 形状仍然未知。人类的功能磁共振成像研究已经确定枕叶外侧复合体（lateral occipital complex，简称CAMPER）是一个关键区域， 对于视觉-触觉整合，然而fMRI的低空间分辨率未能揭示用于视觉-触觉整合的神经代码。 表示物体形状。为了解决这一知识差距，我建议研究触觉的表示 和视觉形状在猕猴下颞叶皮层（IT），人类的同源物。具体来说，我将测试 假设猕猴IT创建触觉和视觉形状的模态独立表示。到 为此，我将记录猕猴暴露于物体时IT中多个神经元的同时活动 呈现为视觉图像或3D打印的触觉对象。首先，我将确定IT神经元是否以及如何代表 触觉形状。第二，我将探索视觉触觉形状表征的神经基础。 阐明了IT生成独立于模态的形状表示的神经机制， 研究将揭示大脑如何能够识别各种感官形式的形状。此外，委员会认为， 该项目的发现将支持下一代神经假体植入物的开发， 利用触觉和视觉感官输入。

Project Summary Accurate shape perception is crucial to identifying and manipulating objects in our environment. Among our senses, vision and touch are unique in that they both convey geometric shape. Although haptic and visual sensory inputs are initially processed along distinct sensory pathways, we experience an object’s shape as a unified, modality-independent percept. How the brain generates modality-independent representations of shape remains unknown. Human fMRI studies have identified the lateral occipital complex (LOC) as a key area for visuo-haptic integration, yet the low spatial resolution of fMRI has failed to reveal the neural code used for representing object shape. To address this knowledge gap, I propose to study the representations of haptic and visual shapes in macaque inferotemporal cortex (IT), the homologue of human LOC. Specifically, I will test the hypothesis that macaque IT creates modality-independent representations of haptic and visual shapes. To this end, I will record the simultaneous activity of multiple neurons in IT while macaques are exposed to objects presented as visual images or as 3D-printed haptic objects. First, I will identify if and how IT neurons represent haptic shapes. Second, I will explore the neural basis of visuo-haptic shape representations in IT. By elucidating the neural mechanisms by which IT generates modality-independent shape representations, this research will shed light on how the brain is able to recognize shapes across sensory modalities. Furthermore, the findings of this project will support the development of next-generation neuroprosthetic implants that can leverage both haptic and visual sensory input.