Topic: ferret

The internal and external world is thought to be represented by distributed patterns of cortical activity. The emergence of these cortical representations over the course of development remains an unresolved question. In this talk, I share results from a series of recent studies combining theory and experiments in the cortex of the ferret, a species with a well-defined columnar organization and modular network of orientation-selective responses in visual cortex. I show that prior to the onset of structured sensory experience, endogenous mechanisms set up a highly organized cortical network str

Interacting with the environment to process sensory information, generate perceptions, and shape goal-directed behavior engages neural networks in brain areas with highly varied representations, ranging from unimodal sensory cortices to higher-order association areas. These networks form and undergo considerable and potentially area-specific refinement over development. However, recent work suggests a much greater degree of commonality in the functional organization of networks across such diverse cortical areas during early development. It is currently unknown whether this initially common st