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Neural mechanisms in early visual stages representing angles and junctions embedded within contour stimuli.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 14380371
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Neuroscience in general
Research InstitutionNational Institute for Physiological Sciences (2004-2005)
Okazaki National Research Institutes (2002-2003)

Principal Investigator

ITO Minami  National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Department of Information Physiology, Associate Professor, 生体情報研究系, 助教授 (20311194)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) KOMATSU Hidehiko  National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Department of Information Physiology, Professor, 生体情報研究系, 教授 (00153669)
OGAWA Tadashi  National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Department of Information Physiology, Assistant Professor, 生体情報研究系, 助手 (50311197)
Project Period (FY) 2002 – 2005
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2005)
Budget Amount *help
¥13,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥2,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥3,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥6,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,000,000)
KeywordsVisual Cortex / Contour line / Angle / Primate / Area V2 / Area V1 / 分岐 / V2野
Research Abstract

This study aimed at revealing the neuronal mechanisms representing angles embedded within contour stimuli in the early visual stages. First, we recorded from the superficial layer of area V2, while monkeys performed the fixation task. Stimuli were made by combining two line components, large enough to pass through the classical receptive fields. We found that (1)fairly large number of neurons showed selective responses to these angle stimuli in V2. Angle width of the optimal angles distributed from 30 to 180 degree. (2)Both or either half-line components were explicitly represented in neurons' direction profile to individual half-lines. Second, we asked whether a relatively simple linear-summation model explains the observed angle selectivity. We assumed two excitatory subunits representing two optimal line components and one inhibitory subunit. Outputs of these subunits were summed in linear manner, then were multiplied by a gain, and finally went through a non-linear filter of rectification. In majority (73/91), optimized model explains all responses to 66 angles and 12 half-lines well (p<0.01 Bootstrap test). These results suggest that the angle selectivity is based on an appropriate conversion of excitatory inputs, which represent optimal half-line components, and inhibitory inputs, which sharpen the angle selectivity due to suppression to non-optimal line components included in angles. Such inhibition and rectification were enough to explain fine tuning to the angle selectivity. Third, we asked the role of V1, which is the major source of visual inputs to area V2. By the similar stimulus set, we found that the optimal angle width of 60 and 120 degree was rarely observed in V1. Some V1 neurons responded to only short line segments. Therefore, V1 neurons may contribute to angle representation in a restricted manner, while V2 neurons represent various angles.

Report

(5 results)
  • 2005 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2004 Annual Research Report
  • 2003 Annual Research Report
  • 2002 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (19 results)

All 2006 2005 2004 2003 Other

All Journal Article (16 results) Book (1 results) Publications (2 results)

  • [Journal Article] Air-driven eye shutter system for vision experiments using awake behaving animals.2006

    • Author(s)
      Matsumoto M, Togawa M, Komatsu H
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Neuroscience Methods (in press)

    • Related Report
      2005 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Neuronal dynamics of bottom-up and top-down processes in area V4 of macaque monkeys performing a visual search.2006

    • Author(s)
      Ogawa T, Komatsu H
    • Journal Title

      Exp Brain Res (in press)

    • Related Report
      2005 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] The neural mechanisms of perceptual filling-in.2006

    • Author(s)
      Komatsu H
    • Journal Title

      Nature Review Neuroscience 7

      Pages: 220-231

    • Related Report
      2005 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Neural responses in the macaque V1 to bar stimuli with various lengths presented on the blind spot.2005

    • Author(s)
      松本 正幸
    • Journal Title

      J. Neurophysiology 93

      Pages: 2374-2387

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Neural responses in the macaque VI to bar stimuli with various lengths presented on the blind spot.2005

    • Author(s)
      Matsumoto M.
    • Journal Title

      J. Neurophysiology 93

      Pages: 2374-2387

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] How the early visual system extract angles and junctions embedded within contour stimuli? In 'Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Autonomous Minirobots for Research and Edutainment" (eds. by Murase K., Sekiyama K., Kubota N., Naniwa T. & Sitte J.)2005

    • Author(s)
      Ito M.
    • Journal Title

      Springer-Verlag (Berlin, Germany)

      Pages: 167-174

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] How the early visual system extract angles and junctions embedded within contour stimuli?2005

    • Author(s)
      Ito M
    • Journal Title

      Proceedings of the 3^<rd> International symposium on autonomous minirobots for research and education (eds. by Murase K., Sekiyama K., Kubota N., Naniwa T., Sitte J.)(Springer-Verlag, Tokyo)

      Pages: 167-174

    • Related Report
      2005 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Neural responses in the macaque V1 to bar stimuli with various lengths presented on the blind spot.2005

    • Author(s)
      Matsumoto M, Komatsu H
    • Journal Title

      J.Neurophysiology 93

      Pages: 2374-2387

    • Related Report
      2005 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Representation of angles embedded within contour stimuli in area V2 of macaque monkeys.2004

    • Author(s)
      伊藤 南
    • Journal Title

      J. Neuroscience 24

      Pages: 3313-3324

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Target selection in area V4 during multi-dimensional visual search task.2004

    • Author(s)
      小川 正
    • Journal Title

      J. Neuroscience 24

      Pages: 6371-6382

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Representation of angles embedded within contour stimuli in area V2 of macaque monkeys.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ito M.
    • Journal Title

      J. Neuroscience 24

      Pages: 3313-3324

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Target selection in area V4 during multi-dimensional visual search task.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ogawa T.
    • Journal Title

      J. Neuroscience 24

      Pages: 6371-6382

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Representation of Angles Embedded within Contour Stimuli in Area V2 of Macaque Monkeys.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ito M., Komatsu H.
    • Journal Title

      J.Neuroscience 24(13)

      Pages: 3313-3324

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Target Selection in Area V4 during a Multidimensional Visual Search Task.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ogawa T., Komatsu H.
    • Journal Title

      J.Neuroscience 24(28)

      Pages: 6371-6382

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Functional organization of the cat visual cortex in relation to the representation of uniform surface.2003

    • Author(s)
      谷 利樹
    • Journal Title

      J. Neurophysiology 89

      Pages: 1112-1125

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Functional organization of the cat visual cortex in relation to the representation of uniform surface.2003

    • Author(s)
      Tani T.
    • Journal Title

      J Neurophysiology 89

      Pages: 1112-1125

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Book] How the early visual system extract angles and junctions embedded within contour stimuli? In "Proceedings of the 3rd Internastional Symposium on Autonomous Minirobots for Research and Edutainment" (eds. by Murase K., Sekiyama K., Kubota N., Naniwa T. & Sitte J.)2005

    • Author(s)
      伊藤 南
    • Publisher
      Springer-Verlag (Berlin, Germany)
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2005 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Ito M., Komatsu H.: "Representation of Angles Embedded within Contour Stimuli in Area V2 of Macaque Monkeys."J.Neuroscience. (in press). (2004)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Tani T., Yokoi K., Ito M., Tanaka S., Komatsu H.: "Functional Organization of the Cat Visual Cortex in Relation to the Representation of a Uniform Surface"J. Neurophysiology. 89. 1112-1125 (2002)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2002-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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