Neurons in the primary visual cortex of freely moving rats encode both sensory and non-sensory task variables.

ABSTRACT: Neurons in primary visual cortex (area V1) are strongly driven by both sensory stimuli and non-sensory events. However, although the representation of sensory stimuli has been well characterized, much less is known about the representation of non-sensory events. Here, we characterize the specificity and organization of non-sensory representations in rat V1 during a freely moving visual decision task. We find that single neurons encode diverse combinations of task features simultaneously and across task epochs. Despite heterogeneity at the level of single neuron response patterns, both visual and nonvisual task variables could be reliably decoded from small neural populations (5 to 40 units) throughout a trial. Interestingly, in animals trained to make an auditory decision following passive

SUBMITTER: Zhang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10721203 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature