Neural Coding of 3D Object and Place Structure in Two Cortical Pathways

描述(申请人提供)：这个项目的长期目标是了解大脑如何处理关于地点--风景和室内--的视觉信息，以及这与大脑处理关于物体的视觉信息有何比较。我们将在两条主要的脑通路中测量处于较高加工阶段的神经元的物体和位置相关反应：(1)腹侧视觉通路传统上被认为是一种物体通路，但我们的初步数据表明，它也强烈参与风景和内部的表征，从物体相关加工到位置相关加工具有背外侧-腹内侧梯度。(2)最近发现的顶叶-内侧颞叶通路主要处理位置信息，并终止于海马旁皮质。我们将使用数学分析来理解这两条路径上的神经元是如何编码物体和位置信息的。我们预计结果将产生以下科学影响：1.首次对复杂位置形状的分析是在单个神经元和神经元组的水平上编码的，将深化对大脑机制的理解，以感知、理解、交互和导航风景和内部，补充先前在脑成像水平的研究。2.分析比较将阐明编码机制是如何针对不同的对象和场所的结构特征和生态角色而专门的。3.对腹侧通路和顶叶内侧通路之间的形状编码机制进行分析比较，将有助于加深对不同视觉功能如何在大脑中分布的理解。4.对物体和位置编码的综合研究将有助于进一步研究这两个因素在视觉场景的整体知觉中是如何结合的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The LONG-TERM GOAL of this project is to understand how the brain processes visual information about places-landscapes and interiors-and how that compares to brain processing of visual information about objects. We will measure object- and place-related responses of neurons in higher processing stages within two major brain pathways: (1) The ventral visual pathway is traditionally considered to be an object pathway, but our preliminary data show that it is also strongly engaged in representation of landscapes and interiors, with a dorsolateral-ventromedial gradient from object-related processing to place-related processing. (2) The recently recognized parieto-medial temporal pathway primarily processes place information and terminates in parahippocampal cortex. We will use mathematical analysis to understand how object and place information is encoded by neurons in these two pathways. We expect the results to have the following scientific impacts: 1. This first analysis of complex place shape is encoded at the level of individual neurons and groups of neurons will deepen understanding of brain mechanisms for perceiving, understanding, interacting with, and navigating through landscapes and interiors, complementing previous research at the brain imaging level. 2. Analytical comparison will elucidate how coding mechanisms are specialized for the very different structural characteristics and ecological roles of objects and places. 3. Analytical comparison of shape coding mechanisms between the ventral and parieto-medial pathways will increase understanding of how different visual functions are distributed across the brain. 4. Combined study of object and place coding will lead to future research on how these two elements combine in overall perception of visual scenes.