Topic: V1 neurons

Sensory neurons in different species, brain areas, and modalities adjust their sensitivity (gain) in response to recent stimulus history. This gain control offers a mechanism for single neurons to rapidly and reversibly adapt to different stimulus contexts while preserving synaptic weights that serve to represent features that remain consistent across contexts. From a normative perspective, this allows an individual neuron to adjust the dynamic range of its responses to accommodate changes in input statistics -- a core tenet of Barlow's efficient coding theory. However, experimental measureme

Sensory experience often depends on one’s own actions, including self-motion. Theories of predictive coding postulate that actions are regulated by calculating prediction error, which is the difference between sensory experience and expectation based on self-generated actions. Signals consistent with prediction error have been reported in mouse visual cortex (V1) when visual flow coupled to running was unexpectedly stopped. Here, we show such signals can be elicited by visual stimuli uncoupled to animal’s running. We recorded V1 neurons while presenting drifting gratings that unexpectedly stop