Computing by modulating spontaneous cortical activity patterns as a mechanism of active visual processing.

ABSTRACT: Cortical populations produce complex spatiotemporal activity spontaneously without sensory inputs. However, the fundamental computational roles of such spontaneous activity remain unclear. Here, we propose a new neural computation mechanism for understanding how spontaneous activity is actively involved in cortical processing: Computing by Modulating Spontaneous Activity (CMSA). Using biophysically plausible circuit models, we demonstrate that spontaneous activity patterns with dynamical properties, as found in empirical observations, are modulated or redistributed by external stimuli to give rise to neural responses. We find that this CMSA mechanism of generating neural responses provides profound computational advantages, such as actively speeding up cortical processing. We further revea

SUBMITTER: Chen G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6820766 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature