Functional-neuroanatomy of High-level Visual Cortex: A Quantitative Multimodal Ap

Stanford University, Stanford CA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Humans recognize and categorize the visual input in about a tenth of a second. However, it is still a mystery how the brain achieves this remarkable ability. The cortical visual recognition system consists of a processing stream starting in V1 and ascending into high-level visual areas associated with recognition in ventral temporal cortex (VTC). The goal of the proposed research is to make important theoretical and empirical progress in our understanding of the neural basis of recognition by examining the interplay between neural implementation, representations, and computations in human VTC. Prior research from our lab used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (HR-fMRI) to advance understanding of the functional organization of VTC by generating an organizational framework detailing its neuroanatomical and topological characteristics. Leveraging these findings, this proposal uses an innovative approach with cutting edge techniques combining HR-fMRI, macro-anatomical, cytoarchitechtonic and myeloarchitectonic measurements, high spatial and angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI), advanced tracking algorithms, and computational modeling to address the following three key questions: (1) Is neural microarchitecture an implementational constraint underlying the topological organization of functional representations in VTC? (2) Does structural and functional connectivity regulate functional representations of VTC? (3) How does the neural implementation relate to computations in VTC? Aim 1 will inform if/how the topology of functional representations in VTC is determined by the underlying cytoarchictecture and myeloarchitecture, which may have evolved to optimize particular computations. Aim 2 will investigate the fine-scale functional and structural connectivity of high-level visual cortex determining how information is segregated and integrated within and across adjacent specialized cortical networks. Aim 3 will develop the first generative and quantitative model of VTC computations with the ability to predict responses to stimuli varying in shape, position, and size, while also determining if there is a perceptually-relevant hierarchical processing of information across VTC. This research has important clinical applications for identifying abnormalities in the functional neuroanatomy of VTC within individual brains, and thus, is relevant for patient populations with anatomical or functional VTC deficits, and for individuals with atypical perception or recognition. Overall, the research will break new ground in understanding the neural bases of visual recognition in humans by elucidating the interplay between neural implementation, representations, and computations in human VTC.