Bimodal inference in humans and mice

Abstract

2AbstractPerception cycles through periods of enhanced and reduced sensitivity to external information. Here, we asked whether such infra-slow oscillations arise as a noise-related epiphenomenon of limited processing capacity or, alternatively, represent a structured mechanism of perceptual inference. Using two large-scale datasets, we found that humans and mice waver between alternating intervals of externally- and internally-oriented modes of sensory analysis. During external mode, perception was more sensitive to external sensory information, whereas internal mode was characterized by enhanced biases toward perceptual history. Computational modeling indicated that dynamic changes in mode are governed by two interlinked factors: (i), the integration of subsequent stimuli over time and, (ii), infra-slow anti-phase oscillations in the perceptual impact of external sensory information versus internal predictions that are provided by perceptual history. Between-mode fluctuations may benefit perception by enabling the generation of stable representations of the environment despite an ongoing stream of noisy sensory inputs.

Vigilance, arousal, and acetylcholine: Optimal control of attention in a simple detection task

“…Gilden and Wilson (1995) also considered a number of models that would give rise to streaky outcomes, including a model of 'intermittent attention' with probabilistic transitions between a low effort state (with lower hit rate) and a high effort state (the conditional transition probabilities were assumed to be fixed). Similar such switching in engagement has been more recently studied in the context of animals solving a series of signal detection tasks (Ashwood et al, 2022;Weilnhammer, Stuke, Eckert, Standvoss, & Sterzer, 2021).…”

Brain signatures indexing variation in internal processing during perceptual decision-making

“…These two different subtypes could indicate the existence of different cognitive modes. Recent studies have suggested that humans 27 and other animals 28 switch between different modes of processing during perceptual decision-making tasks. These modes could arise from changes in a single information processing sequence induced by alteration in the balance between top-down 29 and bottom-up signaling 30 .…”

“…These states reflect changes in latent cognitive factors which could indicate different modes of processing during perceptual decision-making in humans 18 and other animals 19 . These modes could arise from changes in a single information processing sequence induced by alteration in the balance between top-down 20 and bottom-up signaling 21 .…”

“…Through a combination of data-driven classification of brain activity, behavior, and computational modeling, we identify two brain states with differing stimulus-driven activity. These states reflect changes in latent cognitive factors which could indicate different modes of processing during perceptual decision-making in humans 18 and other animals 19 . These modes could arise from changes in a single information processing sequence induced by alteration in the balance between top-down 20 and bottom-up signaling 21 .…”

Strategic stabilization of arousal boosts sustained attention

“…State-dependence of neural activity has been observed in primary sensory cortices (Goris et al, 2014; McGinley, David, et al, 2015; Musall et al, 2019; Nestvogel & McCormick, 2022) and sensory-guided behavior (McGinley, David, et al, 2015) but not in relation to attentional effort or in any adaptive way. More recently, spontaneous shifts between engaged, biased, and/or disengaged states have been inferred from behavior (Ashwood et al, 2022; Weilnhammer et al, 2021). However, the behavioral functions of these non-stationarities is not unclear.…”