Direct physiological evidence for scene segmentation by temporal coding
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Direct physiological evidence for scene segmentation by temporal coding. / Engel, A K; König, P; Singer, W.
In: P NATL ACAD SCI USA, Vol. 88, No. 20, 15.10.1991, p. 9136-40.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct physiological evidence for scene segmentation by temporal coding
AU - Engel, A K
AU - König, P
AU - Singer, W
PY - 1991/10/15
Y1 - 1991/10/15
N2 - Theoretical studies have suggested that scene segmentation may be accomplished by a temporal coding mechanism using synchronization of neuronal responses. Here we report a direct experimental test of this hypothesis. Neuronal responses were recorded simultaneously from two to four sites with overlapping receptive fields in cat visual cortex. Correlation analysis revealed that all cells synchronized their responses irrespective of their orientation preference when they were activated by a single light bar. However, when stimulated with two superimposed light bars of different orientations, the same cells segregated into distinct assemblies according to their orientation preferences. Within each of these assemblies responses were synchronized, but correlation was absent between the two assemblies. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that responses to individual objects in a scene are distinguished by synchrony, whereas responses to different objects show no temporal correlation, thus allowing for the segmentation of superimposed stimuli. We conclude that stimulus-specific synchronization of spatially distributed neuronal responses may provide a physiological mechanism for scene segmentation.
AB - Theoretical studies have suggested that scene segmentation may be accomplished by a temporal coding mechanism using synchronization of neuronal responses. Here we report a direct experimental test of this hypothesis. Neuronal responses were recorded simultaneously from two to four sites with overlapping receptive fields in cat visual cortex. Correlation analysis revealed that all cells synchronized their responses irrespective of their orientation preference when they were activated by a single light bar. However, when stimulated with two superimposed light bars of different orientations, the same cells segregated into distinct assemblies according to their orientation preferences. Within each of these assemblies responses were synchronized, but correlation was absent between the two assemblies. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that responses to individual objects in a scene are distinguished by synchrony, whereas responses to different objects show no temporal correlation, thus allowing for the segmentation of superimposed stimuli. We conclude that stimulus-specific synchronization of spatially distributed neuronal responses may provide a physiological mechanism for scene segmentation.
KW - Animals
KW - Cats
KW - Models, Neurological
KW - Photic Stimulation
KW - Time Factors
KW - Visual Cortex
KW - Visual Fields
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 1924376
VL - 88
SP - 9136
EP - 9140
JO - P NATL ACAD SCI USA
JF - P NATL ACAD SCI USA
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 20
ER -