Variations in neuronal selectivity create efficient representational geometries for perception.

ABSTRACT: Our visual capabilities depend on neural response properties in visual areas of our brains. Neurons exhibit a wide variety of selective response properties, but the reasons for this diversity are unknown. Here, we related the distribution of neuronal tuning properties to the information capacity of the population. Our results from theory, simulations, and analysis of recordings from macaque primary visual cortex (V1) reveal that diversity of amplitude and bandwidth drive complementary changes to the representational geometry of a population. Amplitude diversity pushes the centers of the representations further apart, whereas bandwidth heterogeneity decorrelates the center locations. These geometric changes separate out representations for distinct stimuli, creating more efficient encoding.

SUBMITTER: Saraf S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12262329 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature