Topic: feature-selective amplification

Neuronal sensitivity and selectivity to our environment arise from the transformation of external inputs by the cortical circuitry. We dissect the circuitry for this emergence using a combination of large-scale simultaneous measurements from single cells in awake animals and computational models. In area MT, an area of the neocortex that processes visual motion, even weak motion signals evoke selective responses in the presence of noise. We also observe tuned patterns of activity in the absence of visual motion that suggest feature-selective amplification within the circuit. In addition, respo