Figure-ground perception in the awake mouse and neuronal activity elicited by figure-ground stimuli in primary visual cortex

Schnabel, Ulf H.; Bossens, Christophe; Lorteije, Jeannette A. M.; Self, Matthew W.; Beeck, Hans Op de; Roelfsema, Pieter R.

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36087-8

Cited by 39 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This result is in line with our main finding that illusory colour can only be decoded at the second superficial depth. It also matches previous findings that edges between figure and ground selectively activate layer 2/3 in non-human primates( 50 ) and mice( 51 ). However, it is not in line with Kok’s et al’s conclusions that illusory perception selectively involves deep layers.…”

Section: Supplementary Figuressupporting

confidence: 91%

Two distinct feedback codes in V1 for ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ internal experiences

Bergmann

Morgan

Muckli

2019

Preprint

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Visual illusions and visual imagery are conscious sensory events that lack a corresponding physical input. But while everyday mental imagery feels distinct from incoming stimulus input, visual illusions, like hallucinations, are under limited volitional control and appear indistinguishable from physical reality. Illusions are thought to arise from lower-level processes within sensory cortices. In contrast, imagery involves a wide network of brain areas that recruit early visual cortices for the sensory representation of the imagined stimulus. Here, we combine laminar fMRI brain imaging with psychophysical methods and multivariate pattern analysis to investigate in human participants how seemingly ‘real’ and imaginary non-physical experiences are processed in primary visual cortex (V1). We find that the content of mental imagery is only decodable in deep layers, whereas illusory content is only decodable at superficial depths. This suggests that feedback to the different layers may serve distinct functions: low-level feedback to superficial layers might be responsible for shaping perception-like experiences, while deep-layer feedback might serve the formation of a more malleable ‘inner’ world, separate from ongoing perception.

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Section: Supplementary Figuressupporting

confidence: 91%

Two distinct feedback codes in V1 for ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ internal experiences

Bergmann

Morgan

Muckli

2019

Preprint

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“…Contextual modulation represents a fundamental computation to extract meaning from visual scenes. It could support many perceptual phenomena, such as pop-out effects, figure-ground segregation, detection of borders, and object detection (Angelucci et al, 2017;Bergen and Julesz, 1983;Jones et al, 2001;Kapadia et al, 2000;Knierim and van Essen, 1992;Lamme, 1995;Rossi et al, 2001;Schnabel et al, 2018;Seriès et al, 2003;Treisman and Gelade, 1980). Furthermore, the dichotomy between surround suppression and cross-orientation facilitation is consistent with a predictive processing framework (Bastos et al, 2012;Keller and Mrsic-Flogel, 2018;Rao and Ballard, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Consistent with perceptual phenomena, the stimulus evoked responses of neurons are modulated by the surround. This contextual modulation occurs at several stages of the visual system including the retina (Alitto and Usrey, 2008;Chiao and Masland, 2003;Huang et al, 2019;McIlwain, 1964;Ölveczky et al, 2003;Solomon, 2006), the thalamus (Alitto and Usrey, 2008;Jones et al, 2012Jones et al, , 2015Levick et al, 1972), and the visual cortex (Alexander and Van Leeuwen, 2010;Angelucci et al, 2017;Fitzpatrick, 2000;Kapadia et al, 2000;Knierim and van Essen, 1992;Rossi et al, 2001;Schnabel et al, 2018;Slllito et al, 1995) progressively increasing the complexity of the contextualized spatial features.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Disinhibitory Circuit for Contextual Modulation in Primary Visual Cortex

Keller

Roth

Caudill

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Context strongly guides perception by influencing the saliency of sensory stimuli. Accordingly, sensory neurons respond differently to the same stimulus depending on the context in which the stimulus is embedded. In the visual system, the relationship between the features of the stimulus and those of the surround determine how excitatory neurons are modulated. Their responses are suppressed when center and surround share the same features but not when they are different. The mechanisms that relieve surround suppression and thereby generate contextual modulation remain unclear. Here we show that the disinhibitory circuit consisting of somatostatin-expressing (SOM) and vasoactiveintestinal-peptide-expressing (VIP) inhibitory neurons contextually modulates excitatory neurons in mouse primary visual cortex. When the stimulus and the surround share the same features, VIP neurons are inactive and SOM neurons can suppress excitatory neurons. However, when the features of the stimulus differ from those of the surround, VIP neurons are activated, thereby inhibiting SOM neurons and relieving excitatory neurons from suppression. Optogenetic silencing of VIP neurons, via disinhibition of SOM neurons, reduces the contextual modulation of excitatory neurons. We have identified a canonical cortical disinhibitory circuit which contributes to contextual modulation of excitatory neurons, and may thereby regulate perceptual saliency.

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“…In the visual system, these feedforward pathways define the classical feedforward receptive field (ffRF), the area in space where visual stimuli excite a neuron 1 . The visual system also uses visual context, the visual scene surrounding a stimulus, to predict the content of the stimulus 2 , and accordingly, neurons have been found that are excited by stimuli outside their ffRF 3–8 . The mechanisms generating excitation to stimuli outside the ffRF are, however, unclear.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through this antagonism, neurons respond when a stimulus is presented in either the fbRF or ffRF but not in both together, effectively performing an exclusive-OR operation. Suppression of responses to stimuli in the ffRF by surrounding stimuli is a well-established phenomenon that enables neurons to report boundaries by detecting differences in stimulus features between the excited region inside the ffRF and their surround 7, 8, 14, 15, 28–31 . Our results show that neurons with an excitatory fbRF report differences in stimulus features regardless of whether the excited region is located inside or outside the ffRF.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurons in Visual Cortex are Driven by Feedback Projections when their Feedforward Sensory Input is Missing

Keller

Roth

Scanziani

2020

Preprint

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5We sense our environment through pathways linking sensory organs to the brain. In the visual 6 system, these feedforward pathways define the classical feedforward receptive field (ffRF), the area 7 in space where visual stimuli excite a neuron 1 . The visual system also uses visual context, the visual 8 scene surrounding a stimulus, to predict the content of the stimulus 2 , and accordingly, neurons have 9 been found that are excited by stimuli outside their ffRF [3][4][5][6][7][8] . The mechanisms generating excitation to 10 stimuli outside the ffRF are, however, unclear. Here we show that feedback projections onto 11 excitatory neurons in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) generate a second receptive field driven by 12 stimuli outside the ffRF. Stimulating this feedback receptive field (fbRF) elicits slow and delayed 13 responses compared to ffRF stimulation. These responses are preferentially reduced by anesthesia 14 and, importantly, by silencing higher visual areas (HVAs). Feedback inputs from HVAs have 15 scattered receptive fields relative to their putative V1 targets enabling the generation of the fbRF. 16 Neurons with fbRFs are located in cortical layers receiving strong feedback projections and are 17 absent in the main input layer, consistent with a laminar processing hierarchy. The fbRF and the 18 ffRF are mutually antagonistic since large, uniform stimuli, covering both, suppress responses. While 19 somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons are driven by these large stimuli, parvalbumin and 20 vasoactive-intestinal-peptide-expressing inhibitory neurons have antagonistic fbRF and ffRF, similar 21to excitatory neurons. Therefore, feedback projections may enable neurons to use context to predict 22 and were strongly suppressed with increasing grating size (90 ± 1% suppression at 85°; mean ± SEM; 1190 33 neurons in 9 mice). Thus, consistent with previous reports, layer 2/3 excitatory neurons in V1 had a ffRF 34 diameter greater than 10° on average 9-12 and their responses were suppressed when a stimulus extended 35 beyond the ffRF to cover surrounding regions [13][14][15] . 36To determine the spatial extent of the suppressive regions, we presented a full-field grating in which a 37 portion was masked by a gray circular patch (Fig. 1a, b). We reasoned that if a large grating suppresses the 38 excitatory neuron's response because it stimulates suppressive regions surrounding the ffRF, the response 39 of the excitatory neuron should be partially recovered when a gray patch is placed on a suppressive region, 40i.e. when part of the suppressive region is not stimulated. We varied the location of the gray patch along 41 the same grid used to determine the center of the neuron's ffRF (see Methods). By averaging the responses 42 to these stimulus grids across neurons, we obtained two separate activity maps; one of the ffRF and one of 43 the suppressive regions. Unexpectedly, the peak of the map of the suppressive regions overlapped with the 44 peak of the ffRF map (Fig. 1b). This suggests that, at the population...

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Figure-ground perception in the awake mouse and neuronal activity elicited by figure-ground stimuli in primary visual cortex

Cited by 39 publications

References 46 publications

Two distinct feedback codes in V1 for ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ internal experiences

Two distinct feedback codes in V1 for ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’ internal experiences

A Disinhibitory Circuit for Contextual Modulation in Primary Visual Cortex

Neurons in Visual Cortex are Driven by Feedback Projections when their Feedforward Sensory Input is Missing

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