Transformations of sensory information in the brain reflect a changing definition of optimality.

ABSTRACT: Neurons throughout the brain modulate their firing rate lawfully in response to changes in sensory input. Theories of neural computation posit that these modulations reflect the outcome of a constrained optimization: neurons aim to efficiently and robustly represent sensory information under resource limitations. Our understanding of how this optimization varies across the brain, however, is still in its infancy. Here, we show that neural responses transform along the dorsal stream of the visual system in a manner consistent with a transition from optimizing for information preservation to optimizing for perceptual discrimination. Focusing on binocular disparity - the slight differences in how objects project to the two eyes - we re-analyze measurements from neurons characterizing tuning c

SUBMITTER: Manning TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10055346 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature