The direction-selective responses of neurons in visual cortex cannot be separated into independent spatial and temporal processes. Contemporary theories of how neurons compute non-separable responses typically rely on finely tuned transmission delays. However the existence of such delays is controversial. We propose an alternative neural mechanism for computing non-separable responses that relies on the predisposition of the cortical tissue to spontaneously generate traveling waves of neural activity. We propose that these endogenous waves resonate with the visual stimulus to elicit direction-selective neural responses without resort to time delays.
Model Type: Neural mass; Neuron or other electrically excitable cell
Model Concept(s): Direction Selectivity; Spatio-temporal Activity Patterns; Motion Detection
Simulation Environment: Brain Dynamics Toolbox
Implementer(s): Heitmann, Stewart [S.Heitmann at victorchang.edu.au]
References:
Heitmann S, Ermentrout GB. (2020). Direction-selective motion discrimination by traveling waves in visual cortex PLOS Computational Biology, in press.