A Sparse Probabilistic Code Underlies the Limits of Behavioral Discrimination.

ABSTRACT: The cortical code that underlies perception must enable subjects to perceive the world at time scales relevant for behavior. We find that mice can integrate visual stimuli very quickly (<100 ms) to reach plateau performance in an orientation discrimination task. To define features of cortical activity that underlie performance at these time scales, we measured single-unit responses in the mouse visual cortex at time scales relevant to this task. In contrast to high-contrast stimuli of longer duration, which elicit reliable activity in individual neurons, stimuli at the threshold of perception elicit extremely sparse and unreliable responses in the primary visual cortex such that the activity of individual neurons does not reliably report orientation. Integrating information across neurons,

SUBMITTER: Sriram B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7132908 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature