Neural Codes Underlying Visual Segmentation

视觉分割背后的神经代码

• 批准号: 9198010
• 负责人: Xin Huang
• 金额: $ 37万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9198010
• 关键词: Address; Attention; Behavior; Behavioral; Biological Neural Networks; Brain; Cerebral cortex; Code; Computer Analysis; Cues; Dyslexia; Environment; Epilepsy; Eye Movements; Goals; Image; Individual; Knowledge; Light; Methods; Modality; Modeling; Monkeys; Motion; Motion Perception; Neurons; Pattern; Perception; Physiological; Population; Primates; Problem Solving; Property; Research; Role; Scheme; Schizophrenia; Sensory; Speed; Stimulus; Surface; Temporal Lobe; Testing; Time; Vision; Vision Disorders; Vision Disparity; Visual; Visual Agnosias; Visual Cortex; Visual Motion; Visual system structure; base; disorder prevention; experimental study; imaging Segmentation; improved; insight; nervous system disorder; neural circuit; neuromechanism; neurophysiology; operation; perceptual organization; preference; public health relevance; relating to nervous system; response; selective attention; visual processing; visual stimulus

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Natural scenes often contain multiple entities. The ability to segregate visual scenes into distinct objects and surfaces, referred to as segmentation, is a fundamental function of vision. Segmentation is crucial for interpreting visual images and for generating the perception of our environment. However, the neural mechanisms underlying image segmentation are not well understood. Our long-term goal is to understand the neural basis underlying perceptual organization and ultimately how perception arises from activity in neuronal network. Among sub-modalities of vision, visual motion provides a potent cue for segmentation. The proposed research uses visual motion to investigate how multiple stimuli are represented by neurons in the visual cortex such that the segmentation and perception of multiple stimuli can be achieved. To isolate the effects of visual motion cues from those of spatial cues on image segmentation, we will use random-dot patterns that move in the same region of visual space in different directions. Previous studies have shown that the responses of cortical neurons elicited by multiple, perceptually separable, stimuli tend to follow the average o the responses elicited by the constituent stimuli presented alone. Such a scheme, however, poses a challenge in segmenting two stimuli that differ only slightly, because averaging essentially takes away the information regarding the identities of individual stimulus components. The central problem to be addressed by the proposed research is how the segmentation of slightly different, but perceptually distinguishable, stimuli is achieved by the visual system. We will combine the methods of neurophysiology, behavior and computation to achieve our goals. The proposal has two specific aims. In Aim #1, we will determine how multiple moving stimuli are represented by populations of neurons in the visual cortex and the temporal dynamics of such neural representation, while the visual system solves the problem of segmenting overlapping stimuli moving in different directions. In Aim #2, we will elucidate how visual depth and speed cues, and selective attention modulate the neural representation of multiple stimuli moving in different directions. The proposed research will provide insight into fundamental neural operations of cortical network in processing sensory information and will expand our knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying perceptual organization. Insights gained from studying normal visual functions promise to improve our understanding of the cause, treatment and prevention of disorders of vision and eye movements.

描述（由申请人提供）：自然场景通常包含多个实体。将视觉场景隔离为不同对象和表面的能力，称为分割， 是视力的基本功能。细分对于解释视觉图像和对 产生对我们环境的看法。但是，图像分割的基础神经机制尚不清楚。我们的长期目标是了解神经基础知觉组织，并最终是由神经元网络中的活动产生的。在视觉的亚模式中，视觉运动为分割提供了有效的提示。拟议的研究使用视觉运动来研究视觉皮层中神经元如何代表多种刺激，从而可以实现多种刺激的分割和感知。为了将视觉运动提示与空间提示对图像分割的影响隔离，我们将使用随机点模式在不同方向上移动的视觉空间区域。先前的研究表明，多种，可分离的刺激引起的皮质神经元的反应倾向于遵循单独提出的成分刺激引起的平均反应。然而，这种方案在分割两个仅略有不同的刺激方面构成了挑战，因为平均基本上消除了有关单个刺激成分身份的信息。拟议的研究要解决的中心问题是如何通过视觉系统实现略有不同但可区分的刺激的分割。我们将结合神经生理学，行为和计算的方法，以实现我们的目标。该提案有两个具体的目标。在AIM＃1中，我们将确定如何由视觉皮层中神经元的种群和此类神经表示的时间动力学来表示多个运动刺激，而视觉系统则解决了分割重叠刺激的问题，以不同的方向移动。在AIM＃2中，我们将阐明视觉深度和速度提示以及选择性注意力如何调节多个刺激向不同方向移动的神经表示。拟议的研究将洞悉皮质网络在处理感官信息方面的基本神经操作，并将扩大我们对感知组织基础神经机制的了解。通过研究正常视觉功能而获得的见解有望提高我们对视力和眼动障碍的原因，治疗和预防的理解。