Sensory encoding

…regions as distinct from sensory encoding and motor activity that correlate them has been challenging, in significant part due to uncertainty in the identifying criteria applied. Here we applied the paradigms and criteria previously used to identify an EEG signature of motor-independent evidence accumulation (O'Connell, Dockree, & Kelly 2012), in an fMRI study. It involved a mental counting task assessing vi

The mammal brain must dynamically and rapidly adapt to the ever-changing sensory environment. Despite the known importance of neural plasticity in cellular processing, we only have a limited understanding of how this is achieved in vivo. Here, we performed whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex in vivo to investigate whether sensory information is dynamically encoded in cortical neurons. First, the plasticity of sensory encoding was tested by repetitive tactile stimulation delivered to the forepaw. Here, sensory encoding wa

…In early sensory systems, the way neurons respond to stimuli can be summarized in their receptive fields (RFs), and these are structured to detect certain features. Experimental data show that they are also noisy, but this randomness remains unaccounted for in existing models. By taking this unexplained variability into account, we reveal how the interplay between structure and random noise provides important computational benefits for sensory encoding. Furthermore, structured randomness offers a biolog

At any given moment the brain receives more sensory information than it can use to guide adaptive behaviour, creating the need for mechanisms that promote efficient processing of incoming sensory signals. One way in which the brain might reduce its sensory processing load is to encode successive presentations of the same stimulus in a more efficient form, a process known as neural adaptation. Conversely, when a stimulus violates an expected pattern, it should evoke an enhanced neural response. Such a scheme for sensory encoding has been formalised in predictive coding theories, which propose t

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We the

Spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity is highly state-dependent, promoting the functional flexibility of cortical circuits underlying perception and cognition. Using neural recordings in combination with behavioral state monitoring, we find that arousal and motor activity have complementary roles in regulating local cortical operations, providing dynamic control of sensory encoding. These changes in encoding are linked to altered performance on perceptual tasks. Neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, may regulate this state-dependent flexibility of cortical network function. We the