Large-Scale Distributed Cortical Networks in Vision

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL

Investigators

Abstract

Visual processing in the mammalian brain is not done simply with several parallel channels leading to higher areas. We now know that visual input pathways diverge into multiple processing streams, with feedback at all levels in each stream and crosstalk between streams. The visual cortex can be seen in this view at a dynamic system of interconnected areas interacting flexibly in different combinations at different stages of processing. This renewal project builds on technological advances and analytical tools for with high spatial, temporal and frequency resolution, developed from prior support. These comprehensive advances make it possible to monitor multi-area functional interdependency patterns that arise in the cortex, and to measure and analyze how one cortical area can affect others. The novel approach in the current project is to examine the mesoscopic scale of functional brain organization, offering a complementary level between the microscopic recording of single cell activity in a local area or layer, and the macroscopic derivation of images from whole brains using scanning technologies such as PET and fMRI. Results will have an impact by providing new insights into the dynamics of functional interdependency in the visual cortex, and going beyond visual neuroscience to make available digital signal processing tools potentially useful for a handling large-scale neural systems in a range of cognitive studies, and potentially leading to designing better complex artificial neural networks. This project also provides excellent cross-disciplinary training opportunities for students.