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Neural circuits for visual discrimination of low-contrast stimuli

Research Project

Project/Area Number 18K06537
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
Research InstitutionThe University of Tokyo (2021)
National Institute for Physiological Sciences (2018-2020)

Principal Investigator

Kimura Rie  東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 特任助教 (60513455)

Project Period (FY) 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywords神経生理 / 神経回路 / 視覚野 / 行動 / マルチユニット記録 / コントラスト
Outline of Final Research Achievements

We can perceive familiar objects even when they become indistinct. After repeatedly encountering specific objects, a subset of neurons in the primary visual cortex exhibited strong responses to low-contrast visual stimuli. These low contrast-preferring neurons were rare during passive viewing without training or anesthesia after training. The neurons showed stronger activities when rats correctly perceived a low-contrast familiar object and represented low-contrast visual information well. Following training, in addition to generally enhanced excitation, the phase synchronization of spikes to beta oscillations at high contrast was stronger in putative inhibitory than excitatory neurons. The change in excitation-inhibition balance might contribute to low-contrast preference. We revealed a new flexible mechanism of information representation, changing in correlation with visual contrasts.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

同じ視覚対象物を繰り返し見ることによって、興奮と抑制のバランスが変化し、低コントラストの視覚刺激に強く応答する細胞が増えて、低コントラストで見にくくなった画像の情報表現に貢献することを示唆する。これによって、経験した画像があいまいになっても知覚することができると考えられる。外界の情報は常に変化するが、脳はその変化に柔軟に対応しており、そのおかげで我々は安定して物を見ることができる。この研究成果は、様々な強さの入力に応じる脳の柔軟な情報表現を新たに提唱する。このような情報表現を組み入れた神経回路モデルを構築することで、人間の持つ安定した視知覚をコンピュータ上に再現することにつながると考えられる。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2021 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (16 results)

All 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 Other

All Journal Article (2 results) (of which Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 2 results) Presentation (13 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 6 results,  Invited: 5 results) Remarks (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] Flexibility of Behavior-Related Multidimensional Neural Activity2021

    • Author(s)
      木村梨絵
    • Journal Title

      The Brain & Neural Networks

      Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Pages: 117-126

    • DOI

      10.3902/jnns.28.117

    • NAID

      130008101250

    • ISSN
      1340-766X, 1883-0455
    • Year and Date
      2021-09-05
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Open Access
  • [Journal Article] The contribution of low contrast-preferring neurons to information representation in the primary visual cortex after learning2021

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura and Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Journal Title

      Science Advances

      Volume: 7 (48) Issue: 48

    • DOI

      10.1126/sciadv.abj9976

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Presentation] Neuronal activity supporting orientation discrimination at low contrast.2022

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Kenichi Ohki, and Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      NEURO2022 第45回日本神経科学大会/第65回日本神経化学会大会/第32回日本神経回路学会大会
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] 方位弁別学習後のラット一次視覚野に見られる低コントラスト優位な神経活動.2021

    • Author(s)
      木村梨絵, 吉村由美子
    • Organizer
      第126回日本解剖学会総会・全国学術集会 / 第98回日本生理学会大会 合同大会
    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Activity of low contrast-preferring neurons in rat primary visual cortex during an orientation discrimination task.2020

    • Author(s)
      Kimura R, Yoshimura Y
    • Organizer
      UK-Japan Neuroscience Symposium 2020
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] Low-contrast preference of activity in rat primary visual cortex during an orientation discrimination task.2020

    • Author(s)
      Kimura R, Yoshimura Y
    • Organizer
      The Eighth International Neural Microcircuit Conference -Synaptic Specificity to Circuit Dynamics-
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Involvement of low contrast-preferring neurons in an orientation discrimination task in rat primary visual cortex.2019

    • Author(s)
      Kimura R, Yoshimura Y
    • Organizer
      The 9th Okazaki-Tuebingen-Beijing Joint Symposium
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] The mechanism for generating low contrast-preferring neurons during orientation discrimination in rat primary visual cortex.2019

    • Author(s)
      Kimura R, Yoshimura Y
    • Organizer
      NEURO2019 (The 42nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society)
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] The mechanism for generating low contrast-preferring neurons during orientation discrimination in rat primary visual cortex.2019

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      NEURO2019(第42回 日本神経科学大会、第62回日本神経化学会大会)
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Involvement of V1 neurons preferring low-contrast stimuli in difficult orientation discrimination.2019

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      FAOPS2019 (the 9th Federation of the Asian and Oceanian Physiological Societies Congress)
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Presentation] Involvement of neurons preferring low-contrast visual stimuli in an orientation discrimination task in rat primary visual cortex.2019

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      Japan-UK Neuroscience Symposium 2019
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Low-contrast preferred spiking activity in rat primary visual cortex during an orientation discrimination task.2018

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      第8回 生理学研究所・名古屋大学医学系研究科合同シンポジウム
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] 方位弁別課題遂行時のラット一次視覚野における低コントラスト優位な神経活動2018

    • Author(s)
      木村梨絵、吉村由美子
    • Organizer
      視覚科学フォーラム2018 第22回研究会
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Involvement of neurons preferring low-contrast visual stimuli in an orientation discrimination task in rat primary visual cortex.2018

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      第41回日本神経科学大会
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Learning changes dependence of neuronal responses on the contrast of visual stimuli in rat primary visual cortex.2018

    • Author(s)
      Rie Kimura, Yumiko Yoshimura
    • Organizer
      Joint symposium of 10th Optogenetics Research Conference and Second International Symposium on Brain Information Dynamics 2018
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Remarks] 繰り返し見たものは、なぜ見にくくなっても知覚できるのか? ~脳における情報表現の仕組みを明らかに~

    • URL

      https://www.nips.ac.jp/release/2021/11/post_452.html

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2018-04-23   Modified: 2023-01-30  

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